'The amount of day-trippers has been pretty minimal because I think people were worried they'd get down here and not be able to get back,' he said by phone, referring to people who take a ferry to the island on the southern stretch of the Outer Banks.īyron Miller, manager of The Ocracoke Harbor Inn, said one person canceled because of the forecast, and business is a little slower than usual. Still, he cautioned its path was difficult to predict days in advance.Īt Ride The Wind Surf Shop on Ocracoke Island, owner Bob Chestnut said he canceled all of his kayak tours and other rentals for Tuesday because he was concerned about the wind.

But he said it's likely to stay south of North Carolina. Lonka, of the National Weather Service, said the storm in the Gulf was forecast to move across northern Florida later this week toward the Atlantic. Some areas could see up to 15 inches of rain. Eric Blake of the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday morning that the system will likely dump around 5 inches of rain on areas of central and north Florida as it approaches the state Thursday. Heavy rainfall was expected across much of Florida. That depression was about 425 miles (680 kilometers) southwest of Tampa, Florida, early Wednesday and was moving north near 2 mph (4 kph). The tropical storm warning, issued Wednesday morning, covers an area from Anclote River to the Walton County-Bay County line.įorecasters say they expect that system to turn to the northeast toward Florida and become a tropical storm sometime Wednesday. National Hurricane Center to issue a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch for areas of Florida's Gulf coast. 'I saw it coming in last week and kind of made a prediction of what day would be best to come down,' said Kavika, who drove down with a friend from Virginia Beach, Virginia.Īt the same time, a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico prompted the U.S. Steven Kavika, a 58-year-old surf instructor, said he relished the opportunity. A break in the rain before more showers were expected also brought families out at midday. In nearby Frisco, whipped-up waves attracted out-of-town surfers. 'We're not worried about the storm so much unless they say there's something to worry about,' Joe Walker said. Joe and Kelley Walker of Markham, Virginia, said their family plans to wait out the rain with movies or card games. Near Rodanthe, a couple and their 11-year-old son had the shore to themselves for a morning stroll.

On Tuesday morning, a slow stream of dozens of cars from places including Maryland, New York and Ohio headed north toward a bridge to the mainland - but other vacationers stayed and some surfers dove in for taller waves. The depression was centered about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east-southeast of Cape Hatteras on Wednesday morning.Ĭoastal Carteret County emergency officials issued an advisory Tuesday saying wind problems were likely to be 'mostly minor,' but advised residents in case trees topple or lightweight objects are blown around.Ĭrowds had thinned on Outer Banks' beaches ahead of the storms. She was about to drive onto the ferry from Hatteras Island to Ocracoke, determined to show her two sons the small island. 'Well, the sun has been shining and we've been hearing about this storm for two days,' Jennifer Bange, 43, of Painted Post, New York, said Tuesday afternoon. But by late Tuesday, many tourists had decided to stay and brave the impending storm. In North Carolina, business owners on Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands said they've experienced a drop in foot traffic. Heavy rainfall is expected across much of Florida as a tropical depression looms in the Gulf of Mexico. Elsewhere, a powerful hurricane threatened to pass 'dangerously close' to Hawaii, and a tropical storm warning was issued for parts of Florida's Gulf Coast because of a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico.

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