By Catherine M. Welch
Wilmington, NC – As Tropical Storm Alberto moves toward Florida,the National Weather Service says remnants of the storm could bring tornadoes and heavy rains to southeastern North Carolina.
What's left of Alberto is expected to reach the region early Thursday morning.
Tom Matheson with the National Weather Service out of Wilmington says a decaying tropical storm moving across land creates conditions ripe for spontaneous tornadoes. And says last night's storms will soak the region, saturating the ground.
Then when Alberto comes up, again a tropical cyclone is all about water, we could very possibly getting into a localized flooding situation.
Keeping a close eye on possible flooding, Wilmington's Director of Public Utility Hugh Caldwell says the city has tightened up the storm water system by sealing manholes and lining pipes to protect them from groundwater. He says the city will monitor areas prone to flooding over the next few days.