• Tropical Storm Ophelia made landfall in coastal North Carolina Saturday morning near hurricane-force strength, lashing a large swath of the mid-Atlantic coast with blistering winds, heavy rains and dangerous storm surge.
• The center of Ophelia reached Emerald Isle around 6:15 a.m. ET with maximum winds estimated at 70 mph– just a few mph short of reaching hurricane status, according to the NHC.
• But Ophelia’s impacts stretched far beyond its storm center, with Tropical Storm Warnings covering 7 million along the eastern seaboard as the storm bore down on communities east of Interstate 95.

Tagged: Weather