UPDATE: Tropical Storm Chris Remains Stationary Offshore; No Direct Impacts Expected

Tropical Storm Chris remains mostly stationary over the Gulf Stream off the coast of North Carolina, and is expected to continue to slowly strengthen today, per the Monday morning briefing from the National Weather Service Newport / Morehead City Office.

Chris is forecast to become a hurricane on Tuesday, but is expected to remain offshore, and will not directly impact Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. However, due to the persistent wind and swell, rough surf and dangerous rip currents are expected along the beaches through most of the week.

North/northeast winds of 20-30 mph will continue along Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands into Tuesday, and elevated rip current threats will likely continue until late in the week.

The long duration of N/NE winds will likely keep water levels slightly elevated, and a strong longshore current is also likely along east-facing beaches, with dangerous shore break expected north of Cape Lookout.

As of 5 a.m. on Monday, Tropical Storm Chris was located 200 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras and was moving south at 1 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. Chris is forecast to meander off the coast of the Carolinas through Monday, and an acceleration toward the northeast is expected to begin on Tuesday.

For more info, visit www.weather.gov/mhx for weather forecast information, or the National Weather Service office in Newport / Morehead City’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/NWSMoreheadCity/.

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