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Ernesto rolls into Carolinas

Just as it seemed the storm was winding down, Ernesto makes a surprise rebound, gaining strength and smacking the Atlantic coast.

By TIMES WIRES
Published September 1, 2006

WILMINGTON, N.C. - Tropical Storm Ernesto picked up steam with surprising speed in the warm waters of the Atlantic and built to near hurricane strength as it swirled into the Carolinas on Thursday night, forcing the closing of ports and campgrounds.

Virginia's governor declared a state of emergency and hundreds of National Guardsmen were activated there and in the Carolinas. Forecasters issued a hurricane watch for the northern half of the South Carolina coast and the southern portion of the North Carolina shore.

Ernesto came ashore late Thursday just to the west of Cape Fear, N.C., near the North Carolina-South Carolina state line.

Forecasters worried the storm could bring a half foot of rain, swelling rivers across North Carolina just a day after thunderstorms soaked the state with 3 to 8 inches.

As of 11 p.m., according to the National Weather Service, Ernesto was centered about 25 miles southwest of Wilmington. It was moving north-northeast at about 18 mph, and its winds were not expected to grow much stronger before the storm reached shore.

Ernesto's top sustained winds as of 11 p.m. were 70 mph, just short of the 74 mph threshold for a hurricane. Its winds increased steadily through the day from about 40 mph overnight as the storm drew energy from the warm water.

"In the world of meteorology, it's just one surprise after another," said Tom Matheson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

Just a day earlier, Ernesto had been downgraded to a tropical depression, not even making the grade as a tropical storm.

Ernesto's wind was less a concern than the threat of flooding. Parts of North Carolina were already drenched by thunderstorms that began Wednesday. Ernesto was expected to bring half a foot of rain to some areas.

"We need some rain around here - just not all at once," said Jean Evans, a convenience store worker on North Carolina's Holden Beach.

The National Hurricane Center also warned of a possible storm surge of 3 feet to 5 feet in the Carolinas.

The National Park Service closed some facilities on the Outer Banks, including two campgrounds near Cape Hatteras. The Coast Guard closed ports at Wilmington and Morehead City in anticipation of gale-force wind.

Ernesto briefly reached hurricane strength on Sunday, but lost much of its punch crossing mountainous eastern Cuba and was a tropical storm of about 45 mph by the time it blew ashore in Florida on Tuesday night. It weakened further as it moved over the state.

However, the storm grew stronger as it moved over the Atlantic.

No immediate evacuations were ordered in the Carolinas, though both states urged residents to keep abreast of forecasts and obey any instructions to get out of danger.

Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine declared a state emergency, putting 200 National Guardsmen on duty and opening the state's Emergency Operations Center in suburban Richmond. North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley activated 200 National Guard troops and had other emergency teams on standby.

Flash floods were being reported in some coastal cities by midafternoon. Sean Gainer was driving down a street in Wilmington when his car stalled in two feet of water. By the time he and others pushed it to safety, the water in the road had receded.

"I've driven in hurricanes and I've seen worse than this. That kind of luck just happens," he said.

Ernesto's effects were being felt across the Carolinas on Thursday. Flooding forced about 100 residents out of a mobile home park in Charlotte, N.C., officials said.

"The good thing is that there is no damage, apparently," said Wayne Broome, Mecklenburg's emergency management director. "We don't know of any cases where water actually got into any buildings. It was a case of the road flooding, and the water approaching the front of some residences."

About 16 of the evacuees were to spend the night at a local high school.

In York County, S.C., near Carowinds, two men clinging to tree branches were rescued after an accident on Pleasant Road. A car driven by Joe Caldwell hydroplaned and skidded into Steele Creek, quickly sinking up to the roofline.

A passer-by, Josh Fosdick, dove in to help Caldwell, and both were quickly stranded, holding on to tree branches as the fast-rising creek raged around them.

"Very swift water," said Bruce Byrnes of the Flint Hill Volunteer Fire Department. "If either of them had let go of the branches, it would not have been a good situation."

In Union County, Twelve Mile Creek burst its banks around Waxhaw and Wesley Chapel, closing several roads for a time.

[Last modified September 1, 2006, 01:22:36]