8/29/2023 – 3:30 p.m.
Idalia is now a hurricane and is forecast to make landfall as a major hurricane along the west coast of Florida tomorrow morning (Wednesday 8/30). The storm is projected to move toward the northeast and reach near southeast North Carolina Thursday morning at tropical storm strength.
Earlier today a tropical storm watch was issued for areas of South Carolina and the immediate coasts of Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender counties. This watch extends out to 20 nautical miles over the adjacent coastal waters.
Potential impacts include:
- Heavy rainfall and flooding (6-8 inches)
- A few tornadoes and waterspouts
- Potential for some storm surge (1-3 feet)
- Gusty winds exceeding 40 mph (tropical storm force)
- Strong rip currents at the beaches from Hurricane Franklin & Idalia – these will linger through the end of the week after these storms have passed
- Hazardous maritime conditions
The latest briefings from the National Weather Service Wilmington office can be viewed HERE. The last briefing was at 12:45 p.m. today (8/29), the next briefing is expected around 7:00 p.m. tonight (8/29).
Be prepared for possible impacts to ferry operations. The Village will share any updates it receives from Bald Head Island Transportation, Inc.
If you have not already, please secure all outdoor items that could get blown away by strong winds. Also, prepare for the loss of power. Duke Energy says it is prepared to respond to outages and emergencies. If you experience an outage, you can report it in the following ways:
- Visit duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile device.
- Use the Duke Energy mobile app – Download the Duke Energy App from a smartphone via Apple Store or Google Play.
- Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply).
- Call the automated outage-reporting system, at 800.POWERON (800.769.3766) for Duke Energy Carolinas and 800-419-6356 for Duke Energy Progress.
- Visit the interactive outage map to find up-to-date information on power outages, including the total number of outages systemwide and estimated times of restoration.
Please get out and about today and tomorrow because as weather conditions deteriorate, we would like folks to do what they can to stay off the roads. The heavy wind and rain will make them less safe to travel. There is currently a high risk of rip currents from Hurricane Franklin and this risk will be present through the next few days with the passing of Idalia and will linger through the end of the week. Beachgoers are advised to stay out of the water.
Village offices will remain open tomorrow (8/30). Essential staff will be on the island on Thursday (8/31) and the Village’s offices, including the Island Package Center and Post Office will be closed. First-class mail is expected to be delivered on time and to PO boxes on Thursday (8/31) unless there are impacts to the ferry service. Barge service suspension will delay the delivery of FedEx and UPS packages to the island.
Wednesday night’s Howl at the Moon has been canceled due to the deteriorating tropical storm forecast.
Please stay connected to your trusted weather source for further developments.
Emergency Preparedness Resources
Village website
ReadyNC
Ready.gov