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A powerful nor'easter is currently spinning off the North Carolina coast, poised to impact the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast coasts with significant weather conditions. According to the FOX Forecast Center, the storm, tagged as Invest 93L by the National Hurricane Center (NHC), is expected to bring coastal flooding, beach erosion, gusty winds, dangerous surf, and rip currents through Thursday.
The NHC's invest designation indicates potential subtropical or tropical characteristics, prompting additional forecast tools to track the storm. Despite this, 93L is forecasted to remain offshore and begin pulling away from the coast by the week's end. However, areas like North Carolina's Outer Banks and the Delmarva coasts are expected to experience days of coastal high tide flooding and beach erosion.
The National Hurricane Center has noted that the storm could develop into a named subtropical or tropical storm, potentially called Josephine, but it does not need to reach this status to cause significant coastal impacts. The storm's slow movement could prolong its effects, with the most significant impacts expected from the Delmarva Peninsula into eastern North Carolina.
Mandatory evacuations are in effect on Hatteras Island, where conditions are expected to worsen. The Outer Banks region is particularly vulnerable, with prolonged wind gusts over 40 mph expected to fuel moderate coastal flooding and destructive waves. Parts of North Carolina Highway 12 are already closed due to flooding.
The worst flooding is anticipated to stretch from the Outer Banks into Chesapeake Bay and up through Ocean City, Maryland, where water levels may rise more than two feet above normal during high tide. Coastal flood alerts are active across coastal North Carolina and Virginia, with the highest waves and greatest flooding risk expected during afternoon and evening high tides.