On Sunday, Annapolis experienced the effects of post-tropical cyclone Ophelia, which had weakened after making landfall near Emerald Isle, North Carolina on Saturday. The storm brought heavy rain and strong winds, leading to flooding and widespread power outages in the region. As Ophelia moved north-northeast, it was anticipated to continue weakening, but still posed a risk of flooding across the Mid-Atlantic into southern New England, according to the National Hurricane Center’s final advisory.
Impacted areas were expected to receive between one and three inches of rainfall. In New Jersey, thousands of customers remained without power on Sunday morning, and some areas received at least 4 inches of rain. The National Weather Service in New York projected potential “inundation above ground level” of one to two feet in waterfront areas of Long Island’s Suffolk County.
Ophelia’s winds, which had initially reached hurricane-force, had slowed to around 25 mph (35 km/h) on Sunday. Meanwhile, forecasters identified a new storm, tropical storm Philippe, located about 1,175 miles (1890 kilometers) west of the Cabo Verde islands near the West Coast of Africa.
On Sunday morning, Ophelia was positioned south of Washington and was anticipated to continue its northeastward movement before veering east and further weakening over the next two days, as per the hurricane center’s projections.
The National Weather Service reported numerous instances of coastal flooding in various New Jersey communities, including Sea Isle City and Brielle. Thousands of individuals in the state were still without power, and coastal Delaware also experienced flooding and road closures.
Videos on social media platforms depicted significant flooding in riverfront communities of the state, including New Bern, Belhaven, and Washington. Additionally, high winds prompted officials in New York City to halt ferry service to Rockaway, though other ferries continued to operate as scheduled. On Friday, the governors of North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland had each declared a state of emergency in preparation for the storm.
