Andrea will bring heavy rain and gusty winds to Outer Banks
By IRENE NOLAN
By IRENE NOLAN
The Outer Banks are under a tropical storm warning as the first named storm of the season heads toward eastern North Carolina.
At 11 a.m., Tropical Storm Andrea was in the northeast Gulf of Mexico with winds at 60 mph and a forward speed of 15 mph.
On this track, Andrea would pass over eastern North Carolina Friday afternoon and evening, still at tropical storm strength.
According to the National Weather Service in Newport, N.C., the storm, which was 770 miles southwest of Buxton at 8 a.m., will have a low impact on the area. We’ll see mostly heavy rain and gusty winds.
Two to four inches of rain is possible from early Friday morning through the evening.
Winds are forecast to reach tropical storm force late Friday afternoon and will blow 30 to 40 with gusts to 45 or 50 mph.
Some isolated tornadoes and waterspouts are possible as the storm passes the area.
Only minor water level rises of about a foot above ground level are forecast for the northern Pamlico Sound and south facing beaches on Hatteras and Ocracoke.
Dare County Emergency Management says on its website that no damage to Highway 12 is anticipated in this fast-moving system.
Tropical Storm Andrea will be well past the area by Saturday morning, but unsettled weather and a chance of showers will remain into early next week.
