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A tropical system approaching the Carolinas drenched the coast on Monday, battering it with strong winds and carrying the potential of storm surge.
Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight is arriving onshore, lowering the risk of becoming a tropical or subtropical storm, while Tropical Depression Gordon remains churning in the open Atlantic, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Life-threatening flash flooding and gusty winds are expected to continue across southeastern North Carolina through the evening and into Tuesday.
Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight was located about 100 miles northeast of Charleston, South Carolina, and about 45 miles west of Cape Fear, North Carolina, as of 5 p.m. Monday. It is moving north-northwest at 7 mph with 35 mph winds.
The storm prompted school closings on Monday, including Coastal Carolina University, and flooded the streets south of Wilmington, North Carolina, with more than a foot (30 centimeters) of rain while nearby Wrightsville Beach had a wind gust of 65 mph (105 kph).
In Brunswick County, North Carolina, flooding reached waist high in areas around the courthouse, the Sheriff’s Office said. About 15 miles (24 kilometers) away in Carolina Beach, dozens of vehicles had floodwaters up to their doors as officials urged people to stay home. Radar estimated up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) of rain fell in the area.
Sustained winds reached about 35 mph in North Carolina on Monday afternoon.
On the forecast track, it is expected to move inland across the Carolinas through Wednesday. The system is expected to weaken over land and dissipate by late Wednesday.
Rain totals in northeastern South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina are estimated to be at 4-8 inches, with up to 10 inches in isolated areas, according to the hurricane center. The slow-moving system has the potential to stall over land.
Parts of Virginia may get 2-4 inches of rain on average.
The system is also forecast to lead to beach erosion and rough seas from the mid-Atlantic coast down to northeastern Florida.
“The combination of the lingering high in the Northeast and a strengthening low pressure area off the Carolinas will stiffen winds even further and cause seas and surf to build in the stretch of the Atlantic coast from northeastern Florida to the Delmarva Peninsula this week,” according to AccuWeather.
Meanwhile, as of 5 p.m. Monday, Tropical Depression Gordon is showing little change in strength and few changes are expected in the next 48 hours.
The depression is located about 955 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands, moving west at 6 mph and with top winds of 35 mph. Forecasters said early Monday that Gordon could become a remnant low “at any time.” Its path continues to meander over open water.
The next named storm will be Helene.
Information from the Associated Press supplemented this report.