Tropical Storm Italia continues path of destruction as it moves out to sea
A flooded street is seen on Isle of Palms, South Carolina, Wednesday, August 30. Isle of Palms Police Department/Reuters
A flooded street is seen in Isle of Palms, South Carolina on Wednesday, August 30. Isle of Palms Police Department/Reuters
After making landfall in Florida on Wednesday morning as a Category 3 hurricane, Italia lashed parts of southeastern Georgia and the Carolinas, inundating coastal areas and causing hundreds of thousands of power outages.
Italia weakened to a tropical storm early Thursday, causing life-threatening flash flooding in parts of eastern North Carolina, the National Hurricane Center said.
Here are the other Italia improvements first thing this Thursday:
About the Carolinas: Tropical Storm Italia was centered about 20 miles southwest of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with sustained winds of 60 mph as of 2 a.m. Thursday. The storm will move closer to the North Carolina coast later Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said.
Flooding in North Carolina: The National Weather Service said 2 to 5 inches of rain fell in southeastern parts of the state, including the Wilmington area, where a flash flood warning was in effect early Thursday. Parts of Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover and Bender counties were under the advisory.
Flood Rescue: Rescuers rescued about 150 residents from flooded areas in Pasco County, Florida, north of Tampa, the county fire marshal said.
Thousands of houses damaged: In Pasco County, Florida alone, between 4,000 and 6,000 homes are under water, County Administrator Mike Carballa said.
Historical Water Levels: Water in South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor rose to more than 9 feet, the fifth-highest level ever recorded, according to the National Weather Service. Storm surges were also reported in Florida’s Cedar Key, East Bay Tampa, Clearwater Beach and St. Petersburg.
Thousands of people in the dark: As of Thursday morning, about 143,000 homes and businesses were without power in Florida. According to the monitoring site PowerOutage.us, there were 112,000 outages in Georgia, about 31,000 in South Carolina and about 20,000 in North Carolina.
Residents are asked to stay indoors: Florida officials are asking residents to avoid being outdoors as cleanup and search efforts continue. Taylor County Sheriff Wayne Padgett cited the dangers of downed trees and power lines.
Boil Water Notice: Portions of DeSoto, Dixie, Leon, Levy, Marion and Taylor counties in Florida are under boil water advisories issued by the state Department of Health.
Some school districts will reopen: DeSantis said at least 30 of the 52 school districts closed before the storm will reopen Thursday. Eight districts will reopen on Friday.
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