Tropical Storm Arthur, likely to become a hurricane by Thursday, continued to gain strength and speed, churning up big waves and dangerous rip currents along Florida’s central coast as it marched northward, on its way to threatening the Carolinas.
The storm, heading away from Florida with 70 mph winds and a newly formed eye late Wednesday, could swell in size as it plows north, the National Hurricane Center reported. Forecasters, who called off a tropical storm watch for parts of Florida Wednesday, predicted Arthur would stay on course to come perilously close to North Carolina.
Hurricane warnings were issued for much of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. A hurricane watch also extended just over the state line into South Carolina.
While Arthur barely affected South Florida, bands of rain that lashed the area early in the week continued Wednesday. With the most persistent storms trailing Arthur’s south side, some thunderstorms may have packed 50 mph wind gusts, the National Weather Service said. The messy weather should clear out Thursday, with normal afternoon storms and showers resuming just in time for the holiday weekend.
“It’s still close enough where we’ll feel the effects,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Chuck Caracozza. Holiday and weekend storms should be primarily inland, he said.
As the storm cruises north into the Carolinas, a combination of storm surge and high tide could trigger coastal flooding, hurricane forecasters warned. If the surge rides a high tide, flooding in parts of Florida’s coast near Fernandina Beach could reach three feet. Isolated spots near Amelia Island may have more.
In North Carolina, areas could get as much as two to four feet of water, accompanied by damaging waves, forecasters said. Flooding may reach one to three feet in parts of South Carolina and one to two feet in southern Virginia. Rip currents will also follow the storm north.
Forecasters are keeping a careful eye on Arthur’s track because even a slight turn, coupled with a growing wind field, could expand the range of hurricane winds brushing the coast. Tropical storm force winds may whip the coast by Thursday afternoon, forecasters said.
“The Carolinas stick out pretty far into the Atlantic,” said hurricane center spokesman Dennis Feltgen. “Any deviation to the left of the track would put hurricane conditions into North Carolina.”
But picking up speed and moving over colder water faster could also keep the storm from gaining strength, he said.
“It’s a good thing in that it won’t be hanging around,” he said. “So this thing won’t be grinding away along the coastline.”
Forecasters had thought Arthur would become the season’s first hurricane later Thursday, but increasing strength and a defined eye prompted them to revise the projection late Wednesday. On Friday, west winds carried by a northerly jet stream should drive Arthur away from shore and off the coast of New England by Saturday.
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