The official start to Hurricane Season is still three weeks away, but Subtropical Storm Ana is alive and well and drifting slowly toward the Cape Fear region. Reid Hawkins is the Science Officer at the National Weather Service in Wilmington. He says the biggest threat from slow-moving Ana is the rainfall – which could be anywhere from two to four inches through Tuesday.
"That amount of rain will probably come in bands, and it will cause ponding of water on roadways, some flooding. The grounds will become saturated and we’ll have some streams that are going to be rising up their banks. It’s just because it’s so slow and it’s over a two- to three-day period, it’s just going to be cloudy and rainy and it’s going to finally get to the point where the water has a hard time draining off."
Hawkins recommends putting away outdoor equipment or furniture that can blow around.
"We will have some gusty winds, 25-35 mph, maybe a few gusts up into mid-40s -- especially on the beaches. As you go farther inland, the winds will be slightly less."
State officials at the Department of Public Safety say they don’t expect any major impacts beyond a wet, messy weekend. But it’s a good time to make sure the emergency kit – including extra batteries – is ready to go.
For information on how to put together an emergency kit, follow this link: