A tropical storm warning was extended to Surf City, N.C., and a tropical storm watch now is in effect to Oregon Inlet, including the Pamlico Sound.
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State offices in 51 counties will close at noon Thursday.
After that, the storm is expected to move north and east over Georgia, then hug the coasts of SC and North Carolina on Saturday. The storm did produce some heavy rains and wind gusts to 60 miles per hour.
Storm surge will likely be the most significant impact from Hermine.
Hurricane warnings are in effect from Mexico Beach to the Suwannee River, and include Leon County.
At a press conference Thursday morning, Scott said that the life-threatening storm calls for evacuations to counties in the path of Hurricane Hermine. The possibility of tornadoes will extend from Florida and Georgia into the eastern Carolinas.
Lester was about 680 miles east of Hilo on Thursday morning with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph.
“Current projections show the storm growing into a Category 1 Hurricane in the next 24 hours before it makes its way up the East Coast”, Cuomo said. Heavy rainfall is expected in the South, leading to coastal and inland flooding.
Schools had been closed Wednesday and Thursday as Tropical Storm Madeline brushed by the state.
Tropical Storm Hermine has finally made that turn to the northeast that was expected and is speeding up as it approaches the Florida coastline.
The storm is on a track to pass just north of the island chain and the eye of the storm isn’t expected to make landfall.
“Winds are already near tropical storm strength in portions of the warning area, making outside preparations hard or risky”, the NHC said.
The storm could create wave heights of 6 feet or higher Saturday into Sunday and there could be coastal flooding during high tide over the weekend.
There’s high confidence in strong rip currents and high surf through Monday, with low, but increasing confidence in at least moderate widespread tidal flooding for Saturday night through Monday, according to a storm briefing from Gary Conte, weather service meteorologist based in Upton.
The center of the storm passed south of the island, but high winds and heavy rains did barrel ashore, sparking a flood advisory.
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It would be the state’s first hit from a hurricane since Wilma in October 2005, a record storm-free streak.
