Downgraded Ophelia moves out to sea
The snail-paced Ophelia, downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm, moved out to sea early today after a three-day drenching that was far less severe than many had anticipated.
Coastal residents to the south, where the storm’s gusty wind ripped apart businesses and damaged homes, were hit hardest.
“It just beat us and beat us and beat us,” said Laurie Garner, whose boyfriend’s restaurant was severely damaged at Salter Path on Bogue Banks, south of the Outer Banks.
While the storm’s centre was expected to stay just off shore, the ring of high wind surrounding the eye could remain over the Outer Banks until midday today, the National Hurricane Centre said.
Governor Mike Easley said gauging the scope of the damage was difficult because of the storm’s slow path, first affecting the state’s southeastern coast on Tuesday and then crawling north and east on Wednesday and Thursday.
“It’s almost like working three different storms,” Easley said.
Ophelia was downgraded to a tropical storm and its sustained winds dropped to 65 mph, the hurricane centre said early today.
More than 12,000 homes and businesses remained without power late yesterday in eastern North Carolina, utilities said, down from a high of more than 200,000. But the mainland hasn’t seen the severe flooding many feared would devastate the coastal interior.
“I’ve been coming down here for 25 years – this is nothing,” said Tim Kifer, 51, of Chicago, who stopped by a marina in Manteo to check out the waters of Roanoke Sound.
Some decided to take advantage of the churning surf to have a little fun.
David Goddard, 58, of Ashburn, Virginia, stood on the beach in Nags Head, watching his 32-year-old son Josh wade into the foamy water up to his calves. “He’s fearless,” Goddard said with a grin.
The storm was blamed for one traffic death. Earlier, a surfer disappeared in rough water off the coast of South Carolina.
On the Outer Banks, Dare County officials said Hatteras Island reported gusts to 95 mph. Other than power cuts, the island was in pretty good shape, county spokeswoman Sharon Sullivan said.
Ocean water was not expected to wash over the islands, although coastal storm surge flooding of 4-6 feet above normal tide was expected, along with large and battering waves.
Ophelia, an erratic storm that has looped and meandered north since forming off the Florida coast last week, stalled yesterday afternoon before drifting toward the east-northeast at about 3 mph, the hurricane centre said.
At 7am today Ophelia was centred about 55 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras. It was drifting to the north and was expected to continue turning erratically out to sea, the hurricane centre said.
A tropical storm watch was issued for southeastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
Ophelia is the 15th named storm and seventh named hurricane of this year’s busy Atlantic season, which ends on November 30.
