CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tropical Storm Elsa is dumping heavy rains over the Carolinas as it moves through the region Thursday.
Elsa was located 25 southwest of Raleigh, North Carolina, and 190 miles west-southwest of Norfolk, Virginia, as of 2 p.m. EDT Thursday. The storm was moving northeast at 20 mph with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and stronger gusts. Tropical storm force winds — which range from 39 mph to 73 mph — extend up to 115 miles.
Tropical storm conditions are expected to continue over parts of the North and South Carolina coasts Thursday.
A tropical storm warning is in effect from South Santee River, South Carolina, to as far north as New Hampshire, including Eastern North Carolina and the Pamlico and Albemarle sounds, as of 2 p.m.
“A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area,” the National Hurricane Center said.
Some areas along the North Carolina coast were seeing strong winds Thursday afternoon, with gusts of 58 mph reported at Frying Pan Tower and gusts of 55 mph reported on Oak Island, the National Weather Service’s Wilmington Office said.
Parts of Eastern North Carolina were under a tornado watch until 11 p.m., the National Weather Service said.
Forecasters say a “few tornadoes” are possible in eastern North and South Carolina through Thursday afternoon, and the NWS confirmed that a small tornado “affected Edisto Island” in South Carolina early Thursday.
Portions of Central North Carolina were under a flash flood watch until 6 p.m., the National Weather Service said, and some areas in the Triangle, including Raleigh, Wake Forest and Garner, were under a flash flood warning until 5:30 p.m.
“Showers and isolated thunderstorms will continue through late afternoon as Tropical Storm Elsa moves through the area,” the NWS said. “Periods of locally heavy rainfall will be possible, with an additional 1 to 2 inches of rain expected from the Triangle northeastward to the NC/VA state line.”
The storm was expected to continue dumping rain on the Carolinas through Thursday.
The NWS says preliminary totals show some areas in South Carolina have seen more than 3 inches of rain, including Hartsville with 3.79 inches, Pawley’s Island with 3.52 inches and Kingstree with 3.38 inches. Parts of South Carolina were forecast to get between 3 and 5 inches of rain, with up to 8 inches possible in some areas.
Eastern and Central North Carolina could get 2 to 4 inches with up to 6 inches possible in some areas through Friday, which could lead to “limited-to-considerable flash and urban flooding” and “isolated minor river flooding,” the NHC said.
The NWS said an elevated risk of rip currents associated with Elsa will remain along the coast likely through Friday.
The entire South Carolina coast and most of the North Carolina coast were under a high risk of rip currents as of Thursday afternoon, indicating that “life-threatening rip currents are likely,” the NWS says. People are advised to stay out of the water under a high risk as the “surf zone is dangerous to all levels of swimmers.”
Elsa’s path as of 2 p.m. shows it will remain a tropical storm as it moves over and out of the Carolinas. It’s expected to become a post-tropical cyclone by Friday night.
“On the forecast track, Elsa will continue to move over North Carolina today, pass near the eastern mid-Atlantic states by tonight, and move near or over the northeastern United States on Friday and Friday night,” the NHC said at 2 p.m.
Elsa has weakened since Wednesday, but forecasters say some restrengthening is possible Thursday night and Friday as it moves toward the northeast.
