Hurricane Idalia impact: Roof blows off SC home, rain floods coastal NC

Hurricane Idalia turned streets to rivers in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina as it moved up the coastline.

In North Carolina, Idalia had the biggest impact east of Interstate 95 to the coast.

Between Tuesday and Thursday, the WRAL Storm Tracker followed the storm from Florida to South Carolina, driving more than 1,300 miles.

Some of the most severe damage occurred Thursday in Cherry Grove near Myrtle Beach, where an unconfirmed tornado ripped a roof off a beach house. The roof blew behind the house and into a canal.

The homeowner, who lives in Southern Pines, was there when it happened. He said he was watching television when he received the tornado warning. When he opened his front door to move to the ground floor for shelter, he said his roof blew off “within seconds.”

The man was uninjured, although part of the roof fell on top of him. His home was completely destroyed.

The National Weather Service will be in the Cherry Grove area Thursday to survey the damage.

North Carolina’s beaches saw the worst conditions late Wednesday and early Thursday. Due to high waves, streets in Ocean Isle Beach were flooded by 4 p.m. on Wednesday as Idalia neared the coast, dropping heavy rain.

The ceiling and roof at Four Paws Veterinary Hospital in Southport was badly damaged in the storm, and cleanup was underway Thursday as the worst winds and rain moved away.

In Brunswick County, two confirmed tornadoes touched down. One tornado was spotted on N.C. Highway 211 near St. James. Video shared on Facebook by the sheriff’s office shows the dark funnel cloud.

In Ocean Isle Beach, most residents escaped major flooding, although at least 5 inches of rain fell in 24 hours, causing isolated flooding in low-lying neighborhoods and homes near the sound. Storm debris also littered the beach and roads.

In Wrightsville Beach and Ocean Isle, people were walking on the shores Thursday morning as the rain pulled away. According to WRAL meteorlogist Anthony Baglione, the rain should move away from the coast completely late Thursday afternoon, although much of southeastern North Carolina remains under a flood watch until Friday.

Thankfully, Idalia did not cause many trees to fall east of the Triangle, even at the coast.

In Fayetteville, a few trees fell, and low-lying areas were flooded Wednesday night, especially in Festival Park due to Cross Creek overflow.

According to WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner, rainfall estimates as of Thursday morning were:

• Triangle: 1.1 inches
• Rocky Mount/Wilson: 2 inches
• Goldboro: 3 inches
• Fayetteville: 4 inches
• Clinton: 7 inches

Much higher totals fell at the coast. In Myrtle Beach on Wednesday, the tide gauge was above 9 feet, the sixth highest tide on record since 1987.

At one point, more than 26,000 customers were without power in North Carolina, most at the coast. At 11 a.m. on Thursday, outages in our state were under 11,000, with most outages in coastal communities.