Tropical Storm Ophelia makes landfall along North Carolina coast

Tropical Storm Ophelia, the 15th named storm of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, has made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina, early Saturday morning, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to the region.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Ophelia had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and was moving north-northeast at 14 mph as of 8 a.m. EDT. The storm was expected to weaken as it moved inland, but still posed a threat of flash flooding, storm surge and isolated tornadoes.

The NHC issued a tropical storm warning for parts of the North Carolina coast, from Cape Fear to Duck, including Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. A storm surge warning was also in effect for portions of the coast, where water levels could rise up to 3 feet above normal tide levels.

Ophelia’s arrival coincided with the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. The season has been above average so far, with 15 named storms, seven hurricanes and four major hurricanes. The most recent major hurricane was Larry, which passed near Bermuda as a Category 3 storm earlier this month.

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