Ernesto whips Carolina coast, islands

WILMINGTON, N.C. -- Tropical Storm Ernesto struck the North Carolina coast and barrier islands late last night, coming ashore with heavy rains and sustained winds that approached hurricane levels.

The storm's tropical-force winds extended up to 145 miles from the center, mainly to the east.

By the time the storm arrived near Long Beach in Brunswick County, its leading edge had dumped more than 8 inches of rain on the Wilmington area, a record for Aug. 31, according to the National Weather Service.

Just a day earlier, thunderstorms soaked the state with 3 to 8 inches. Flash floods were being reported in several coastal cities, forcing residents to wade or use kayaks to reach land..

Timothy Kaine, Virginia's governor, declared a state of emergency and hundreds of National Guardsmen were activated there and in the Carolinas as forecasters issued a hurricane watch for the entire North and South Carolina coastline.

By midafternoon, the storm's winds were 70 miles per hour, just short of the 74-mile-per-hour threshold for a hurricane. Its winds had increased steadily through the day from around 40 miles per hour 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.

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.

The National Hurricane Center also warned of a 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 miles per hour by the time it blew ashore in Florida on Tuesday night.

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

The storm was expected to weaken as it approached the mid-Atlantic and Northeast this weekend. In Pennsylvania, officials worried about the storm reaching a dam north of Pittsburgh that has been damaged by heavy rains.