Flood watch issued for the Wilmington area as low pressure swirls off NC coast

As a non-tropical low pressure continues to swirl off the North Carolina coast, a flood watch has been issued for the Wilmington area.

The National Weather Service in Wilmington said flash flooding from excessive rainfall is possible through Tuesday morning. The areas most likely to be impacted are rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.

The low pressure area is located a couple of hundred miles off the Southeastern US coast, and is producing gale-force winds north of its center. The system could become a subtropical or tropical storm during the next day or two if the associated front dissipates and showers and thunderstorms become sufficiently organized, according to the National Hurricane Center. The chance of formation is 50%.

STORM TRACKER: See the latest details on tropical developments.

Here’s a look at what to expect in Wilmington:

Rain

Some parts of the Wilmington area have already seen more than an inch of rain and up to 6 additional inches are possible.

Wind

Wind gusts up to 30 mph are expected along the coast, while inland residents could see gusts of 20 mph to 25 mph, the weather service said.

Surfing

A high surf advisory is effect for the Cape Fear region. There’s a high risk of rip currents at beaches in New Hanover and Pender counties, with a moderate rip current risk at Brunswick County beaches.

ON ALERT: See the latest weather watches and warnings

Be prepared

“Regardless of tropical or subtropical development, the low is likely to bring gusty winds, heavy rains with the potential for flash flooding, coastal flooding, and dangerous beach conditions to portions of the US Southeast and Mid-Atlantic coast during the next couple of days , and interests in these areas should monitor the system’s progress,” the National Hurricane Center said.

Meanwhile, AccuWeather is predicting that the low pressure will develop into a named tropical storm before making landfall in the Carolinas Monday. If that happens, it would be called Helene.

“Everyone across coastal North Carolina, southeast Virginia, and northeast South Carolina needs to be prepared for a stormy end to the weekend and a threat for flooding next week,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert. “Don’t wait to start preparing until this storm is named. We’re forecasting gusty winds that could reach 80 mph and flooding rainfall. “We don’t want anyone to be caught off guard and unprepared, especially in areas that are prone to flash flooding and beach erosion, which could block roads.”

Tropical Storm Debby

In early August, Tropical Storm Debby battered the Cape Fear coast for several days, bringing more than 15 inches of rain to some areas. The storm resulted in dozens of flooded roads and some minor wind damage.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Tropical weather expected for Wilmington, NC, from storm