Tropical storm warning, flash flood watch issued for Western Tidewater

WAKEFIELD

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, the National Weather Service had upgraded the tropical storm watch it had issued on Tuesday for the Western Tidewater region to a tropical storm warning. This means that sustained winds of 39 to 71 miles per hour are expected within the next 36 hours.

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, the National Weather Service station in Wakefield issued a flash flood watch for all of Western Tidewater and parts of surrounding localities. The watch will begin on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 8 p.m. and remain in effect through 8 p.m. Friday.

According to the NWS, heavy rainfall associated with Hurricane Dorian will overspread southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina late Thursday and continue through most of Friday. Total rainfall is estimated at four to eight inches, with the highest amounts across the northern Outer Banks. This heavy rain will bring a risk of flash flooding, along with rapid rises on area creeks and rivers.

Much of northern Isle of Wight County is also now under a storm surge warning. The NWS forecast indicates that beginning early Thursday evening, storm surge of two to four feet above ground is expected within the next 36 hours. The NWS advises residents of northern Isle of Wight County and Smithfield to make flood preparations before conditions become unsafe and to leave immediately if evacuation orders are given for the area.

The 5 p.m. Wednesday update from the National Hurricane Center indicates that Dorian, which is still a category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 miles per hour, continues to climb up the Eastern coast of the United States. The entire coast of North Carolina and South Carolina remains under a hurricane warning. The northern coast of Florida and most of coastal Georgia remain under tropical storm warnings.

Dorian’s current forecast path indicates landfall could occur on Friday morning in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.