Tropical Storm Hanna Recap

Photo from Emerald Isle Saturday morning after Hanna's landfall. Photo taken by News 14 Carolina viewer Richard Parrott.

Hanna is now in the history books for North Carolina leaving some inland flooding problems and a some downed trees and powerlines.
The storm's center came inland around 3:20am near the North Carolina/South Carolina border. While the storm's strongest winds were concentrated right around the center of the storm, Hanna's heaviest rains fell ahead and to the west of the storm. Flooding was reported around the Triangle and Sandhills region of North Carolina.

Radar estimated rainfall from the Raleigh NEXRAD Doppler radar. Image from the National Weather Service Office in Raleigh.

Radar estimated rainfall from the Wilmington NEXRAD Doppler radar. Image from the National Weather Service Office in Wilmington.

The two above images of Doppler radar estimated rainfall give a good idea for what locations saw the most rain. Here are some storm rainfall totals reported from around the region:

• Southern Pines: 6.68"
• Raeford: 6.29"
• Fort Bragg: 6.19"
• Laurinburg: 5.74"
• Red Springs: 5.50"
• Durham: 5.33"
• Morrisville (RDU): 5.19"
• Apex: 5.17"
• Cary: 5.05"
• Chapel Hill: 4.96"
• Raleigh (NCSU): 4.77"
• Fayetteville: 4.62"
• Lumberton: 4.60"
• Smithfield: 4.59"
• Clayton: 4.55"
• Whiteville: 4.30"
• Goldboro: 3.80"
• Elizabethtown: 3.30"
• Louisburg: 3.27"
• Wilson: 2.63"
• Wilmington: 2.33"
• Surf City: 2.17"
• Leland: 1.87"
• Wrightsville Beach: 1.74"

Flooding near Durham. Photo submitted by Wendell Hull.

Hummingbird fighting Hanna's rain and winds. Photo taken by Liz Trombley near Wade and Fayetteville in Cumberland County.

Hanna's winds also caused a few problems across the area as shown by these viewer photos:

Tree down in Parkton in Robeson County. Photo submitted by Maureen Harrison.

Tree down on Booker Creek Apartments near Chapel Hill. Photo from News 14 Carolina viewer.

Here's a look at some peak wind gusts from late Friday night and early Saturday morning:

• Wrightsville Beach: 72mph
• Wilmington: 54mph
• Goldsboro: 52mph
• Pope Air Force Base: 45mph
• Lumberton: 45mph
• Fort Bragg: 44mph
• Chapel Hill: 43mph
• Fayetteville: 40mph
• Laurinburg: 40mph
• Southern Pines: 26mph

Hanna Inland

Tropical Storm Hanna came inland just after 3am Saturday morning along the NC/SC border. The storm's heaviest rains area falling along the the storm center's track and just to the west of that track. That is producing flooding rains in some parts of the Triangle and Sandhills.

The rain should taper off by midday with some clearing expected this afternoon.

Stay tuned to News 14 Carolina and Weather on the Ones for the latest.

Send your weather reports, rainfall totals, and pictures to weather@news14.com.

Hanna Update -- Friday Midday

The 11am Hanna advisory from the National Hurricane Center is shown above. The track has shifted a little to the west favoring the storm's center to cross land just after midnight along the South Carolina Grand Strand. However, we may still see a landfall along the southeast North Carolina coast.

The storm is maintaining its tropical storm strength. We still cannnot rule out some slight strengthening to a minimal category 1 hurricane just before landfall.

Rain bans from hanna are already moving on land. We've already had a few tornado warnings for coastal counties. There could be more to come through the afternoon.

Wherever you are in Time Warner's North Carolina cable system, count on the very latest Hanna information every 10 minutes with Weather on the Ones.

If you have storm reports and pictures to share with us, send an e-mail to weather@news14.com

Hanna and Ike -- Thursday Morning Update

Hanna is on the move this morning and it not too far away from hurricane status. With Hanna finally beginning its northwest movement additional data available from research aircraft flying into and around Hanna, computer forecast models appear to be coming to a consensus on Hanna's path...
As of the 5am advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Hanna had winds of 70mph... just 5mph away from a hurricane. Hanna may still encounter some wind shear through the day, so a great deal of strengthening is not expected at this time. However, Hanna is expected to become a hurricane later today or tomorrow as it tracks toward the Carolina coast.

The above track from Hanna from the National Hurricane Center still shows the "cone of uncertainty" still covering much of the South Carolina and North Carolina coast. Based on the latest data, it appears Hanna may make landfall near the North Carolina-South Carolina state line give or take 50-70miles around midnight as we head into Saturday morning.

Hanna is expected to track inland over eastern North Carolina. This would bring the heaviest rains and strongest winds along I -95 and to the east. Rainfall totals of 2-4 inches are expected in that region and along the coast with some isolated areas experiencing the heaviest rains. A few tornadoes may be possible as well along the track of the storm and to the east of the track.

Hanna may arrive at high tide along North Carolina's southeastern beaches which will take place at 12:30am Saturday morning.

Today is the day to prepare for what may be to come late Friday into Saturday. Secure lawn furniture, grills, garbage cans, and other loose items that could easily be blown around by Hanna's winds. Have an emergency kit ready just in case and be prepared for extended power outages for areas that experience the strongest winds from Hanna.

Keep in mind there is still some uncertainty to the exact track of Hanna. A slight jog to the east or to the west could change this forecast. Stay with News 14 Carolina for the most updates on Hanna with the latest available every 10 minutes in Weather on the Ones.

By the way, Hanna isn't the only storm to watch. Ike has strengthened into a powerful category 4 hurricane and will track toward the Bahamas by early next week. There are some signs that Ike may then take a northwest turn. It is way to early to speculate on exactly where Ike is headed, but Ike will be the focus for us once we get rid of Hanna.

Have questions about the tropics? Send us an e-mail to weather@news14.com. We'll try to answer your questions here in our weather blog as time allows.

Afternoon Update

Hanna -- Early Wednesday Morning Update

Hanna is a little weaker this morning compared to early Tuesday morning. That is due to wind shear that has been over the storm since yesterday. The 5am advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has Hanna drifting to the north at 2mph. We expect that north and eventually a northwestward movement to pick up later today. That will take the storm into an area that is more favorable for development. Hanna is expected to become a hurricane again tomorrow.

The latest forecast track shown above from the NHC has the center of Hanna coming inland late Friday along the South Carolina coast. However, you notice the shaded area or "cone of uncertainty" includes much of the North Carolina coast. Several computer models, shown below in a graphic from Colorado State University, have shifted the track to the east bringing landfall closer to the South Carolina and North Carolina border.
We will likely continue to see some shifts in the forecast track over the coming days. Keep in mind track forecasting and intensity forecasting even a few days out remains very difficult when it comes to tropical systems. You'll want to stay up to date with the very latest information over the next couple of days. Count on News 14 Carolina for the most updates every 10 minutes with Weather on the Ones.

If you have questions about Hanna, you can e-mail us at weather@news14.com. We'll try to answer your questions as time allows here on our blog.

Tropical Update -- Tuesday Morning

Gustav, Hanna, Ike, and soon to be Josephine.... open a spreadsheet, there's a lot to keep track of in the tropics today!


Gustav seen above in a radar grab from earlier this morning continues to weaken, but is still spreading heavy rain over Louisiana and parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

Closer to home, our attention must turn to Hanna. Early this morning Hanna was a hurricane, but the storm has encountered some wind shear and has weakened to a Tropical Storm. The storm will likely become a hurricane again over the next couple of days. In fact, as the storm accelerates toward the southeast coast later in the week, it is forecast to strengthen to a category 2 hurricane.
Hanna will approach the Carolina coast Friday. It will have to track across the warm waters of the Gulf stream where it could continue to strengthen. It is possible for Hanna to be stronger than a category 2 storm at landfall. Intensity forecast for tropical systems is extremely difficult. Expect changes in the forecast over the coming days. We'll be sure to stay on top of the latest weather data to keep you informed.

The track forecast may shift some as well. The forecast update early this morning from the National Hurricane Center has Hanna coming inland along the South Carolina coast near Charleston. However, all of the North Carolina coast and the Georgia coast remain in the cone of uncertainty.

Even if Hanna come inland along the South Carolina coast, we'll feel a big impact from the storm here in North Carolina. The storm will pick up forward speed at landfall meaning the area of hurricane and tropical storm force winds could make it pretty far inland. The other threat right along the track of the storm and to the east will be the possibility for heavy rains and tornadoes. These weather threats are possible in central and eastern North Carolina Friday, Friday night, and early Saturday morning. The forecast is of course subject to change depending on the exact track and timing of Hanna. Stay with News 14 Carolina for Weather on the Ones updates.

Elsewhere, you'll also want to stay up to date with Tropical Storm Ike that is forecast to become a hurricane later in the week as it tracks to the west.....

and newly formed Tropical Depression #10 that could soon become Tropical Storm Josephine...

Hurricane Hanna

A special advisory from the National Hurricane Center upped Hanna to a Category 1 hurricane on Monday afternoon. Winds are at 75 mph with additional strengthening expected over the next few days.

It's important to monitor the evolving track of this storm. There will be changes to over the next several days and at this point, it won't be until this weekend before we see some direct effects from Hanna.

Gustav, Hanna, and T.D. 9!

Gustav made landfall around 10:30 Monday morning near Cocodrie, Louisiana as a Category 2 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Scale with winds sustained at 110 mph.

Down the road Hanna is expected to become a hurricane and the track on this storm carries it north towards the Georgia, South Carolina boarder by late this week. There's a lot of uncertainty about Hanna's official track and should be monitored closely by everyone in Central and Eastern North Carolina. If the current track should pan out then we would see an increase in heavy rain and the potential for severe weather this weekend.

Not to be out done, a brand new system is being tracked in the open Atlantic and should become Tropical Storm Ike by later today or tonight. The possible track of this storm takes it west and has it becoming a hurricane by later this week as well. This track is also highly likely to change, but anyone on the East Coast of the United States needs to monitor this eventual storm for a strike early to the middle part of next week.

All of this activity is coming together at the apex of the hurricane season for the Atlantic Basin. I wouldn't be surprised to see at least two more storms coming together over the next week or so. Even though they may not pose an immediate threat to the U.S., the 2008 season is proving to be as busy as anticipated.

Gustav and Hanna Update -- Monday Morning

Hurricane Gustav is making landfall this morning as a category 3 storm along the Louisiana coast just southwest of New Orleans.
The storm will likely weaken later this evening as it moves inland over Louisiana. New Orleans will not be the only city feeling the impacts from this storm. Strong winds and heavy rains will also affect Mobile, AL, Biloxi, MS, Baton Rouge, LA, Lafayette, LA, Lake Charles, LA and other surrounding cities.

Gustav is not the only active system to watch in the tropics. Closer to the southeast coast, Tropical Storm Hanna has become a little better organized on satellite this morning. Hanna is drifting to the west very slow. Weak steering currents will keep Hanna on a slow track over the next couple of days. By the middle of the week, high pressure building over Bermuda will help Hanna to accelerate toward the southeast coast by the end of the week.

The latest forecast this morning from the National Hurricane Center brings Hanna inland near the Georgia-South Carolina line as a hurricane Friday. However, with the level of uncertainty that far out in the forecast, the storm could come inland anywhere from Florida to North Carolina.

Below is a graphic of several computer model forecasts for Hanna taken from Colorado State University...

You'll notice there are at least a few models that bring the storm closer to the North Carolina coast. The trends in the models will have to be watched closely over the coming days as a lot can change between now and the end of the week.

Stay tuned to News 14 Carolina for the latest tropical updates at :21 after the hour.

Gustav remains a major hurricane, heads toward the U.S. Gulf Coast

We're watching Hurricane Gustav as well as Tropical Storm Hanna this weekend and into next week.
Gustav has weakened somewhat after passing over Cuba but is expected to maintain at least a category 3 (sustained winds of 111mph - 130mph) strength as it approaches our Gulf coast Monday. There may be some strengthening as this storm passes over the Gulf Loop Current (which if you remember the summer of Katrina and Rita, you heard a lot about it!) The National Hurricane Center is forecasting Gustav to make landfall as a Major Hurricane on Monday.

The track of Gustav (as of 5am Sunday) bring the center of circulation squarely upon central Louisiana, which puts Northeastern, Eastern Louisiana as well as Western Mississippi on the right side (the more powerful side) of the storm's path.

Tropical Storm Hanna remains a Tropical Storm through the rest of our holiday weekend, but will start to affect our coast with swells later today which would create dangerous rip currents.

Forecast models have been changing Hanna's path to reflect a more eastern component to the forecast track later next week which could bring Hanna to the SE Coast of the U.S. instead of the Caribbean and Gulf. That means we're watching this even more in your Weather on the Ones Forecast Center since Hanna may be affecting our weather into next weekend.

Gustav Powerful Category 4!

Major Hurricane Gustav continues to defy original thought and gains strength in the Gulf of Mexico. When Gustav originally developed many through this storm would reach Category 3 and flat line, but Saturday afternoon Gustav was just 5mph away from becoming the first Category 5 of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

Infrared Satellite imagery shows a deep low with a clearly defined center of circulation. The eye wall passed over Western Cuba late Saturday evening and emerged in the Gulf relatively unscathed. I believe we'll see Gustav become a Category 5 at some point on Sunday before slowly weakening some before a catastrophic collision with the Gulf Coast. Right now Louisiana appears to be vulnerable to Gustav and residents of The Pelican State are on edge. Evacuations have been ordered in New Orleans as the city is attempting to prevent scenes similar to those just three years ago when Katrina made landfall. Eerily enough the third anniversary of Katrina's landfall was Friday, August 29. Now, we're on the verge of another dangerous and destructive hurricane striking anywhere from Biloxi, Mississippi to Lake Charles, Louisiana during the day Monday.

Gustav a Major Hurricane; Could Briefly Reach cat. 4

The National Hurricane Center confirmed this morning that Gustav reached Category three status , and more strengthening is expected after passing over Cuba today and tonight.

From the National Hurricane Center:
"...GUSTAV IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH...22 KM/HR...ANDTHIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT COUPLEOF DAYS. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF GUSTAV WILL PASS OVERWESTERN PORTIONS OF CUBA TODAY AND TONIGHT...EMERGE OVER THE SOUTHERN GULF OF MEXICO EARLY ON SUNDAY...AND REACH THE NORTHERNGULF BY MONDAY MORNING.MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...205 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. GUSTAV IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSONSCALE. FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24HOURS AS GUSTAV PASSES NEAR AND OVER WESTERN CUBA. ADDITIONALSTRENGTHENING IS FORECAST AFTER GUSTAV REACHES THE GULF OF MEXICO.

THE NEW OFFICIAL FORECAST TRACK REMAINS CONSISTENT WITH THE REMAINING GUIDANCE IN TAKING GUSTAV INLAND IN LESS THAN 72 HOURS...AND IS JUST EDGED EVER SO SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT...IN PART TO ACCOUNT FORTHE RECENT RIGHT OF TRACK MOTION. REGARDLESS OF THE DETAILS IN THE TRACK...GUSTAV WILL LIKELY SLOW DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE LONGER-TERM...WHICH COULD CAUSE A CONSIDERABLE FLOODING THREAT OVERLOUISIANA AND TEXAS."

And regarding Tropical Storm Hanna:

From the National Hurricane Center:

"...BASED ON THE NEW FORECAST TRACK...THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS HAS ISSUED A TROPICAL STORM WATCH FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

AT 1100 AM AST...1500Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM HANNA WASLOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 21.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 66.4 WEST OR ABOUT 305MILES...490 KM...EAST OF GRAND TURK ISLAND.HANNA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 8 MPH...13 KM/HR. A WEST TOWEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION WITH A GRADUAL DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF HANNA IS FORECAST TO MOVE NEAR OR JUST NORTHEAST OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS LATE SUNDAY OR EARLY MONDAY.MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MPH...85 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME GRADUAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO.

LONG-PERIOD SWELLS FROM HANNA ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE THE RISK OF DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS ALONG PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES COAST DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS..."

Fay Brings Rain to North Carolina and Tracking Gustav...

Parts of North Carolina could see between 1 and 3 inches of rain over the next couple of days as remnant moisture from Fay interacts with a frontal boundary across the Carolinas. In addition to our rain chances, we're also tracking newly formed Hurricane Gustav. Find our more in this morning's video blog posted below...

Looks like moisture from Fay still headed our way

In today's video blog, we see that high rpessure will continue to bring us nice weather for our weekend, but an approaching cold front will tap into moisture from Tropical Storm Fay and bring us a good possibility for some showers and storms during the week.

Fay Update -- Friday Morning

Tropical Storm Fay is still alive this Friday morning battering northern Florida with winds up to 45mph and heavy rains. Portions of northern Florida and southern Georgia could see up to 5 to 10 inches of rain from the storm . Localized areas could see even more.

Fay will slowly move along the Gulf Coast this weekend as it gradually weakens. Eventually, some remnant moisture from Fay should work its way back to the east toward the Carolinas. This will enhance our rain chances for the middle of next week. In fact, we may see a few showers and thunderstorms as early as late Monday. However, our rain chances should be higher for Tuesday through Thursday.

Elsewhere, there is more activity to watch in the tropics. Here's a look at what the National Hurricane Center is watching today....

The disturbances labeled 1 and 2 both have a medium chance for some slow development over the coming days. Stay tuned to News 14 Carolina for Weather on the Ones updates through the weekend for the latest...

Fay Update -- Thursday Morning

Tropical Storm Fay is nearly stationary this morning off Flordia's northeast coast. The storm should slowly move to the west later today spreading heavy rain and wind across north Florida and south Georgia. Check out this morning's video blog update posted below for more...

Stay tuned to News 14 Carolina for our tropical updates at :21 after the hour.

Fay Update -- Wednesday Morning

Tropical Storm Fay is located along the east coast of Florida this morning and it could briefly spend some time in the Atlantic later today. If the storm is able to get offshore, it may strengthen some before making landfall again across northern Florida.

High pressure to the north of North Carolina should still keep Fay away from North Carolina. Find out more in this morning's video blog update posted below...

Evening Update

Fay Update -- Tuesday Morning

The last 24 hours have featured some pretty significant changes int he forecast for Tropical Storm Fay. Find out more in this morning's video blog update posted below...

Stay tuned to News 14 Carolina for tropical updates at :21 after the hour every hour.