NC beaches prepared for possible erosion, rip currents, coastal flooding from Imelda
ANY STRETCH OF HIGHWAY 12 JUST
KIND OF A NASTY DAY TO BE AT
THE NORTH CAROLINA. BUT YOU
SAID IT RIGHT. THANK YOU.
LET'S STICK WITH THE COAST FOR
JUST A MOMENT BECAUSE THE STORM
IS EXPECTED TO BRING SOME
DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS AND
SURF.
>> FOR MOST OF THE EAST COAST
FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. WRAL'S
HEIDI KIRK JOINING US LIVE ON
OCEAN ISLE BEACH. NOT SEEING A
SOUL IN SIGHT. HEIDI, TALK TO
US ABOUT CONDITIONS YOU'RE
SEEING THERE.
>> WELL, DAN LENO, WE ACTUALLY
JUST GOT HERE WITHIN THE LAST
15 MINUTES OR SO. AND I'M
TAKING IN THE CONDITIONS RIGHT
HERE ALONG WITH YOU. WE DROVE
FROM RALEIGH RIGHT HERE TO
OCEAN ISLE BEACH ON TAKING A
LOOK OUT HERE AT THE SURF FOR
THE VERY FIRST TIME. YOU KNOW,
WE SAW QUITE A BIT OF RAIN ON
OUR WAY DOWN HERE AND VERY MUCH
OUT IN THE OCEAN RIGHT NOW,
THOUGH, IT MAY LOOK CALM.
IT IS ROUGH AND CHOPPY. IN
FACT, WALK WITH ME. THIS LAYER
ACTUALLY SEE A RED FLAG OUT
HERE IN THE DISTANCE. AND WHAT
THAT MEANS IS THAT THERE IS A
HIGH RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS.
NOW, JUST THE LAST COUPLE HOURS
WE ACTUALLY SPOKE TO THE MAYOR
OUT HERE. HE SAID THAT SHE'S
KIND OF BREATHING A SIGH OF
RELIEF. OF COURSE, JUST DAYS
AGO THAT FORECAST SHOWING THAT
IMELDA COULD HIT OUR NORTH
CAROLINA AND SOUTH CAROLINA
COAST. BUT OF COURSE, NOW THAT
RISK IS MUCH REDUCED HERE.
NOW THEY SAID THAT THE BIGGEST
CONCERNS OUT HERE ARE BOTH
THOSE RIP CURRENTS, OF COURSE,
A CHOPPY SERVE A POTENTIALLY
SOME COASTAL FLOODING. AND AS
ALWAYS, THAT BEACH EROSION, OF
COURSE, WE'LL CONTINUE TO
MONITOR THESE CONDITIONS.
IN FACT, ON FRIDAY, IT HAD A
LOT OF TIME OUT HERE MAKING
SURE THAT THE GENERATORS WERE
READY, THAT THEY WERE
MONITORING THE STORM EXTREMELY
CLOSELY. AND THEY SAY AT THIS
POINT THEY HAVE NOT YET LET
THEIR GUARD DOWN.
>> WELL, WE ALL KNOW HURRICANES
CAN BE QUITE UNPREDICTABLE.
SO WE ALWAYS TRIED TO PREPARE
FOR THE WORST AND HOPE FOR THE
BEST. SAME CAT. ONE STORMS TO
UNEXPECTED DAMAGE ANNOUNCING
CAT 3 STORMS. VERY LITTLE
DAMAGE AT ALL. SO WE TRY TO BE
PREPARED FOR WHATEVER MOTHER
NATURE BRINGS US.
>> YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT REALLY STICKS WITH ME
SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN IN
A CAT ONE STORM, THEY'VE SEEN
EXTREME DAMAGE. AND THAT IS
WHY SHE'S PREACHING THE
MESSAGE. MAKE SURE THAT YOU
TAKE THIS EXTREMELY SERIOUSLY.
DON'T GET OUT HERE IN THE
WATER, EVEN THOUGH IT COULD
WORK, ALL THAT CAN BE CHOPPY.
AND OF COURSE, THEY'VE GOT
THOSE RED FLAGS OUT HERE ON
THE BEACH FOR REASONS. BUT AT
THIS POINT, STILL BREATHING A
SIGH OF RELIEF THAT IT IS NOT