Live updates: Idalia moves farther offshore, but thousands without power

Idalia has been downgraded to a tropical storm. Several schools are closed Thursday as North Carolina prepares for Tropical Storm Idalia.

Posted 4:04 a.m. Aug 29 — Updated 3:41 p.m. Aug 31

WRAL Staff & Laura Bargfeld

, AP

What to know now about Tropical Storm Idalia

Several North Carolina are closed Thursday, including the Wake County Public School System, Durham Public Schools, Chatham County Schools, Moore County Schools, Nash County Public Schools and the Wilson County School District.
Hurricane Idalia downgraded to a Tropical Storm at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
The greatest threat was flooding Wednesday and Thursday morning, especially south and east of the Triangle.
Coastal NC counties are under alert. Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect for our coastline and multiple non-coastal counties. A Tornado Watch has been issued for Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender and Columbus counties.
Flash Flood Warnings were canceled for much of the viewing area, including the Triangle.
Some schools, colleges and businesses are issuing closings or delays.

Timeline of Idalia's impact on North Carolina

11:00 a.m.: Fewer than 11,000 customers in NC are without power, most at the coast.

10:00 a.m.: The center of Idalia has moved away from the NC coastline There is still a flood watch in effect for eastern N.C.

7:30 a.m.: The center of Tropical Storm Idalia is currently near Wilmington, and conditions are improving across the Triangle.

6:30 a.m.: Flights continue to be canceled. As of 10 a.m., RDU has canceled eight flights, and 11 flights have been delayed.

6:00 a.m.: There are more than 20,000 customers without power in North Carolina.

5:30 a.m.: Low lying areas in Fayetteville seeing flooding. Festival Park in Fayetteville is beginning to flood due to Cross Creek overflowing. Driveways and streets are underwater.

5:15: a.m.: There are now more than 26,000 Duke Energy customers without power in NC.

5:00 a.m.: Rain beginning to lighten up from the Triangle and and all areas west, but gusty winds are still possible. Eastern counties and the coast are still seeing heavy rain, and could see another inch or two inches of rain.

4:30 a.m.: It's still raining in the Triangle but not too heavily. Be cautious when driving. Several flood advisories and warnings are still in effect.

3:30 a.m.: There are more than 13,500 customers without power in North Carolina.

1:15 a.m.: Flood advisory for Cumberland, Johnston, Hoke, Sampson, and Wayne counties until 6:15 a.m.

1:00 a.m.: Flash flood warning for Sampson and Cumberland counties until 6 a.m.

11:05 p.m.: A tropical storm warning is in effect for Bladen, Cumberland, Duplin, Hoke, Robeson, Sampson and Scotland counties.

11:00 p.m.: Idalia is still a tropical storm with maximum-sustained winds of 60 mph. It is about 15 miles north-northwest of Charleston, South Carolina. Idalia is producing very heavy rains over the Carolinas.

10:30 p.m.: There have been at least two confirmed tornadoes to hit Brunswick County. North Carolina had at least five tornado warnings Wednesday.

10:00 p.m.: Flood advisory issued for Sampson County until 1 a.m.

9:52 p.m.: Flood advisory issued for Hoke County until 1 a.m.

9:15 p.m.: Warren County Schools will operate on a two-hour delay Thursday.

8:50 p.m.: The City of Whiteville along with the towns of Shallotte and Ocean Isle Beach are each reporting more than 4 inches of rain.

8:00 p.m.: Wake County Schools will be closed Thursday due to the effects of Tropical Storm Idalia.

8:00 p.m.: Tropical Storm Idalia is about 60 miles west of Charleston, South Carolina. It has maximum sustained winds of 65 mph.

7:25 p.m.: A tornado warning was issued for parts of New Hanover and Brunswick counties until 8 p.m.

6:30 p.m.: A flash flood warning was issued for parts of Vance, Warren and Granville counties until 9:30 p.m.

6:25 p.m.: Chatham County Schools closed Thursday for students and staff.

6:25 p.m.: Durham Public Schools closed for students Thursday, staff to delay start by two hours.

6:20 p.m.: A tornado watch was in effect for Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender and Columbus counties until 6:20 p.m.

6:20 p.m.: Flood advisory has been issued until 9:15 p.m. for Wake, Franklin, Granville, Vance and Warren counties.

6:15 p.m.: Flood advisory issued for Wake Advisory until 9:15 p.m.

5:00 p.m.:, Idalia has been downgraded to a tropical storm with max sustained winds of 70 mph.

4:30 p.m.: Johnston County school are closed Thursday.

3:05 p.m.: Thursday will be an asynchronous remote learning day for Cumberland County Schools students, the district announced.

2:30 p.m.: Wilson, Moore and Nash County schools are closed Thursday due to Hurricane Idalia's potential impact on NC.

2:20 p.m.: Cumberland County schools switch to remote learning for Thursday. Cumberland County is under a tropical storm warning. Edgecombe County schools are closed Thursday due to Hurricane Idalia's potential impact on NC.

2 p.m.: Rain from Hurricane Idalia begins impacting North Carolina's southern counties and part of the coast.

Noon: A tornado watch was issued for several coastal counties, including New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick.

11:45 a.m.: Cumberland County has been included in the tropical storm warning.

Click here for a full list of closings and delays.

Timing: Impacts from Idalia in NC

he center of Idalia has moved out of North Carolina.

Idalia has been downgraded to a tropical storm with max sustained winds of 70 mph.

The Triangle could get 1 to 2 inches of rain. Fayetteville, Goldsboro and Wilson could see more than 5 inches of rain, with the biggest impact being between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. Thursday.

Rain totals will vary during this hurricane, but the biggest concern is flooding southeast of the Triangle.

Several coastal towns along are experiencing flooding. Streets are underwater and entire neighborhoods are submerged.

Most of the NC coast could see a storm surge of 1 to 3 feet, but along the southern NC coast, storm surge and flooding will be higher.

Power outages across NC

Thousands of customers across the state are without power Thursday morning, as Idalia continues to impact North Carolina.

As of 6 a.m., there are more than 20,000 customers without power in North Carolina.

Brunswick: 2,087

Durham: 265

Chatham: 57

Harnett: 604

Johnston: 391

Nash: 363

New Hanover: 2,436

Lee: 332

Pamlico: 1,248

Robeson: 550

Sampson: 284

Wake: 280

Wayne: 650

In South Carolina, more than 12,000 customers are without power, as of 3 a.m. Thursday.

Flights canceled Thursday at RDU

RDU has now canceled eight flights, and four flights have been delayed.

Flight Tracker: Any flight, any airport

In Myrtle Beach and Wilmington, a total of 25 flights have been canceled Thursday.

Ten flights have been canceled in Charlotte, and in Charleston, 21 flights have been canceled Thursday so far.

NC is a 'Storm Magnet:' Podcast with WRAL Meteorologist Kat Campbell

Florida residents hunker down ahead of Idalia

“You still have time this morning to make your final preparations ... but you gotta do that now.” Gov. Ron DeSantis announced at the state’s emergency operations center. Tolls have been waived on highways out of the danger area, shelters have opened, hotels are prepared to take evacuees and more than 30,000 utility workers are being staged to make repairs as quickly as possible in the hurricane's wake, he said.“You do not have to leave the state. You don’t have to drive hundreds of miles. You have to get to higher ground in a safe structure. You can ride the storm out there, then go back to your home,” DeSantis said.

A checklist of what to do - and pack - when a hurricane's coming

“Right now, the biggest hazards are storm surge,” Robbie Berg, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said Tuesday morning. “We’re expecting a surge as much as 8 to 12 feet above normal tide levels in portions of the Big Bend area of Florida.”

Idalia thrashed Cuba with heavy rain, especially in the westernmost part of the island, where the tobacco-producing province of Pinar del Rio is still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian. Residents were evacuated to friends’ and relatives’ homes as up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain fell, meteorological stations reported.

Idalia is the first storm to hit Florida this hurricane season, but only the latest in a summer of natural disasters, including wildfires in Hawaii, Canada and Greece; the first tropical storm to hit California in 84 years, and devastating flooding in Vermont.

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Associated Press contributed to this report.

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