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- Latest: Tropical Storm Imelda will pull away from East Coast, expected to become a hurricane
Tropical Storm Imelda latest: NC may get less rain if Humberto moves system away from coast
WRAL meteorologists are tracking Tropical Storm Imelda, which formed Sunday afternoon, and its interaction with a hurricane far off our coast.
Imelda is forecast to bring waves of rain to North Carolina, mainly on Monday and Tuesday, which could lead to flooding. This tropical system will mainly be a rain event, with winds not a major concern.
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The latest:
2 p.m.: Tropical Storm Imelda has formed with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. The storm is expected to bring tropical storm conditions to the Bahamas and move north dropping a lot of rain in the Carolinas on Monday and Tuesday.
11 a.m.: Hurricane Humberto is now a Category 4 storm, located 535 miles south of Bermuda with maximum winds of 150 mph. Tropical Depression 9 has not yet become Imelda, but we expect the storm will be named Sunday afternoon. The system is currently 95 miles west of the central Bahamas.
The latest forecast shows Humberto pulling Tropical Depression 9 away from our coast. North Carolina will still get rain on Monday and Tuesday, but we’ll get less than we originally predicted.
9 a.m.: Tropical Depression 9 could be named Imeld later on Sunday. WRAL meteorologist Chris Michaels said the system is moving north and will eventually be caught between a weak low over land and Hurricane Humberto to the east. Humberto will grab the system and pull it away from the East Coast late Tuesday.
“We still get waves of rain Monday and Tuesday, however, rain totals and flood risk are lower,” Michaels said. “We’ll still be breezy, but damaging wind is highly unlikely. We’re not expecting tornadoes.”
Monday and Tuesday won’t see constant rain.
“Showers Monday start light and scattered, gradually filling in later on,” Michaels said. On Tuesday, the rain will start heavy and begin to taper off.
7 a.m.: Tropical Depression 9’s impact on North Carolina may be lessened from Hurricane Humberto, which will stay far offshore. Humberto will not directly impact the U.S., but it could pull Tropical Depression 9 farther away from our coast, reducing our rain impact.
Still, portions of central and eastern North Carolina could get a lot of rain on Monday and Tuesday. Even if the system stays offshore, we’ll still see some periods of rain and perhaps some localized flooding south of the Triangle on Monday into Tuesday.
Before the rain arrives, Sunday will be a mainly dry day. Rain from the tropical system will gradually move in from the southeast overnight into Monday. The bulk of the rain will fall late Monday and Tuesday before things slowly dry out beginning Wednesday.
“Rain chances are dropping Wednesday, thanks to our tropical system being tugged out to sea,” WRAL meteorologist Chris Michaels said.
After Wednesday, the remainder of the work week looks cooler, breezy and mostly dry.
Saturday, Sept. 27
5 p.m.: Humberto, which is not expected to impact the U.S., became a Category 5 hurricane on Saturday evening. As of 5 p.m. on Saturday, the storm was 350 miles northeast of the Northern Leeward Islands and is moving at 10 mph.
Tropical Depression 9 is still forecast to become a tropical storm on Sunday. WRAL meteorologist Grant Skinner said the track remains mostly unchanged. R
3 p.m.: Governor Josh Stein declared a State of Emergency on Saturday as the state prepares for heavy rain and the possibility of impacts from Tropical Depression 9, which is expected to become Tropical Storm Imelda.
“This State of Emergency will enable North Carolina’s State Emergency Response Team to mobilize resources and prepare for potential impacts,” Stein said in part in a statement. “Forecasts remain uncertain, so it’s important that North Carolinians get prepared now, have emergency kits ready, and listen to local emergency guidance to stay safe and informed.”
In a news release from the governor’s office, officials said the state’s emergency response team is preparing swift water rescue teams, search and rescue task forces, law enforcement, National Guard, and other resources to support local responses if needed.
11 a.m.: The tropical system we’ve been tracking in the Caribbean becomes Tropical Depression 9. It is expected to reach tropical storm strength by Saturday night.
At the same time, rain from the south spread across Raleigh and the surrounding area. No severe storms are expected Saturday, but off-and-on rain will make for a gloomy day.
10 a.m.: The bands of rain we see today are not coming from the two tropical systems active in the Atlantic. An area of low pressure over Tennessee is fueling the rain we see today, from late morning into the afternoon.
7 a.m.: Forecast models are trending toward a combination of Hurricane Humberto and potential tropical cyclone 9 (which would be named Imelda), and that is good news for North Carolina. Models are trending toward pulling a tropical system away from the Carolina coast. Even without a landfall, potential tropical cyclone No. 9 (PTC No. 9 would be named Imelda should it develop further) is likely to bring waves of rain and localized flooding to the Carolinas through mid-week.
6 a.m.: We got a break from the showers as day broke Saturday, but they return by late morning, WRAL meteorologist Chris Michaels said. It’s a damp and humid start to the weekend, with a medium risk of flooding throughout the day, from Interstate 95 and east.