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Tropical Storm Icon Tropical Storm Ophelia 2023 (Tropical Storm)

Tropical Storm Ophelia Details

Date Formed:
9/21/2023
Date Dissipated:
9/23/2023
Days Active:
2 days
Max Wind Speed:
70 mph on 9/23/2023
Tropical Storm
Landfall Date:
9/23/2023
Landfall Location:
Emerald Isle, North Carolina

Tropical Storm Ophelia Recap

Tropical Storm Ophelia formed on September 22 and quickly strengthened to peak intensity with winds of 70 mph and a minimum pressure of 981 mbar. The storm made landfall near Emerald Isle, North Carolina, before weakening and transitioning into an extratropical cyclone over southern Virginia. States of emergency were declared in Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland as the storm brought floodwaters, storm surge, and strong winds to the region. Ophelia caused about $450 million in damage and left approximately 70,000 homes without electricity in eastern North Carolina and Virginia.

The storm also resulted in the rescue of five people aboard a catamaran near Cape Lookout, North Carolina, by the U.S. Coast Guard. Floodwaters inundated communities and roadways along the Atlantic seaboard from North Carolina to New Jersey, with heavy rainfall causing up to 9.51 inches of precipitation near Greenville, North Carolina. Ophelia's remnants caused heavy flash flooding in the New York metropolitan area as the low responsible for absorbing the storm stalled offshore. Overall, Tropical Storm Ophelia had significant impacts, both in terms of damage and weather-related incidents throughout the affected regions.