Tropical Storm Ophelia brought heavy rains and storm surge flooding to North Carolina and other parts of the east coast Saturday, with heavy weather continuing into Monday.
Travel advisories were issued up and down the I-95 corridor from North Carolina to New York City as Ophelia moved northwards through the weekend, according to AccuWeather. Strong wind gusts hit parts of North Carolina, particularly Wrightsville Beach, at speeds of 80 mph, cutting power to tens of thousands of customers and bringing a storm surge through the coastal region.
It’s crazy how quickly the waters rose throughout coastal North Carolina, showing precisely how vulnerable we are to the whims of the weather. Let’s hope nothing harder hits us as hurricane season continues.
Footage from Cedar Island shows more than a foot of water rising over the roadways at around 5:20 p.m. on Friday, as shared by Bryce Shelton.
Storm Surge is overtaking hwy 12 going out to Cedar Island, North Carolina. A foot or more of water and rising at 5:20pm. #Ophelia moving closer to the NC coast this evening. pic.twitter.com/5sxkXrRzqw
— Bryce Shelton (@BryceShelton01) September 22, 2023
In Belhaven, North Carolina, along the Pungo River, intensive flooding from a storm surge was further compounded by rainfall from Ophelia, bringing waters to almost the front door of many high-foundation homes.
#Ophelia: Here’s intense flooding in Belhaven. The town is in Beaufort County. It’s located on the Pungo River that feeds into Pamlico Sound.
“Storm is getting more intense by the minute and storm surge has began.”
( 📸: Sarah Minton, Elkin) pic.twitter.com/myLWVFJyER
— WXII DaVonté McKenith (@DaVonteMcKenith) September 23, 2023
A police officer in Greenville, North Carolina, fought to rescue a dog that was tied to a fence, and inches away from drowning, as Ophelia hit, according to AccuWeather. The office was successful and the dog was saved. (RELATED: Tropical Storm Philippe Hits The Atlantic As Ophelia Causes Mass Flooding)
A police officer rescued a pit bull terrier found tied to a fence “inches from drowning” in Greenville, North Carolina, as Tropical Storm #Ophelia made landfall this morning. #NCwx pic.twitter.com/c4YpfB7Qlr
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) September 23, 2023
Winterville was also hit by high waters, so one man took it upon himself to inspect the damage from his kayak, as shared by AccuWeather.
That’s one way to get around! 🚣 After Tropical Storm #Ophelia brought widespread flooding to North Carolina, this man in Winterville decided to get across the flooded street by kayak. #NCwx pic.twitter.com/BlLGAr0RSb
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) September 23, 2023
Additional footage shared online by WeatherNation shows huge waves hitting New Jersey on Sunday as Ophelia moved further north.