Ernesto comes to Carolinas

STEVE LYTTLE AND MARK WASHBURN

Staff writers

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Tropical Storm Ernesto came ashore late Thursday night in Brunswick County, its winds never quite reaching hurricane strength but strong enough to cause widespread power outages along the Carolinas border.

Heavy rain from the storm caused widespread flooding and was spreading northward and inland toward Raleigh and the Virginia border. Ernesto came ashore about 11:30 p.m. at Long Beach, with sustained winds of 70 mph and a storm surge of 3 to 5 feet along the North Carolina coast and perhaps along a portion of the extreme northern South Carolina coast.

The strongest winds were on the storm’s east side, out to sea. On the west (inland) side, sustained winds of 30 mph and gusts above 50 mph were common Thursday evening.

Heavy rain closed roads in Horry County of South Carolina and in Brunswick, New Hanover and Columbus counties of North Carolina.

Thousands of customers lost power in Horry and Brunswick counties by late Thursday night.

Heavy rain bands from the storm began sweeping onshore late Thursday afternoon. At 11 p.m., very heavy rain was falling at observation sites from the Grand Strand to Wilmington. Most locations were reporting sustained winds of 25 to 30 mph, with gusts between 40 and 45 mph.

Earlier Thursday evening, heavy rain spread as far inland as Richmond County, about 75 miles east of Charlotte. But by later at night, that inland rain had moved northward, near the Raleigh-Durham area.

Tropical storm warnings remain in effect along the North Carolina coast and could be extended into Virginia overnight.

In addition, flash flood watches have been posted from Interstate 77 eastward to the coast. The watch area includes Charlotte, Concord, Monroe, Albemarle and points east. Heavy rain in the Charlotte metro region appears to have ended, but forecasters say the ground is so saturated that even briefly heavy rain could trigger flooding.

Ernesto’s forecast track has been nudged slightly to the east, and that means the storm’s threat has increased along North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

At 11 p.m., the center of Ernesto was about 25 miles southwest of Wilmington, or near shore in Brunswick County. It is moving north-northeast about 18 mph.

Meteorologist Tom Matheson of the National Weather Service office in Wilmington said Ernesto’s growth today was surprising – but not entirely so.

“When you’re dealing with tropical cyclones, very little is unusual,” he said. “It’s very difficult to forecast and even to measure one of these systems over the ocean. In the world of meteorology, it’s one surprise after another.”

Preparations for the storm have been greatest are taking place across the Carolinas.

In North Carolina, Gov. Mike Easley said he has been told the storm could make landfall about 10 p.m. in the Sunset Beach/Ocean Isle/Holden Beach area, and he said flooding is a serious concern.

“The only concern I have at this point is what are the roads going to be like between here and the beach,” Easley said at a morning news conference. “Just make sure that you do not drive on flooded roads. You can always turn around and find another road.”

Jean Evans, a convenience store worker at Holden Beach, told an Associated Press reporter, “We need some rain around here – just not all at once.”

Easley activated 150 National Guard troops and the State Emergency Response Team to prepare for possible flooding and power outages.

That response team was to have included 17 members of the Charlotte Fire Department’s rescue squads. But those rescue squads are needed instead in the Charlotte area, to deal with flash flooding that took place this morning. Eventually, the Charlotte crew members will be sent east.

The National Park Service closed some of its Outer Banks campgrounds, and the Coast Guard closed the ports at Morehead City and Wilmington.

Another area that could receive heavy rain later today or early Friday is the northwest mountains of North Carolina.

If Ernesto banks a bit to the northwest after heading inland, its heavy rains could spread into the mountains. Officials in counties such as Stokes, Surry, Ashe and Avery are watching the situation carefully today.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.