Coastal storm blasts North Carolina, Virginia bringing flooding concerns, dangerous surf

FOX Weather Correspondent Katie Byrne reports from Nags Head, North Carolina where a storm system is blasting the Carolinas with heavy rain, strong winds and flooding concerns. Wind gusts near 60 mph are forecast. Byrne reports most people are staying off the roads and home as conditions continue to worsen. 

NAGS HEAD, N.C. – A potent coastal storm spinning off the mid-Atlantic is slamming portions of North Carolina and Virginia with heavy rain and strong winds, bringing concerns of flooding, massive waves and rip currents at local beaches as summer nears its end.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, the coastal low that has been forming near the Carolinas is expected to slowly drift off to the north over the next few days, and it will bring several rounds of unsettled weather to the mid-Atlantic.

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The exact track of the storm and how long it lingers across the region is still uncertain. However, the FOX Forecast Center said that Monday and Tuesday will be wet, stormy days.

Some computer forecast models show that the coastal storm could move farther to the north into Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. Others keep the system parked off the mid-Atlantic coast.

A strengthening coastal storm off the mid-Atlantic led to power outages in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on Sept. 15, 2025.

Either way, forecasters say widespread, heavy rain is likely. There’s even an isolated tornado risk along the coast in portions of North Carolina and Virginia.

Most areas could pick up 2-3 inches of rain, with some areas seeing upwards of 3-5 inches.

And if the rain falls too quickly, flash flooding could develop, especially on Monday and Tuesday.

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NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC) placed areas of North Carolina and Virginia in a Level 2 out of 4 threat of flooding on Monday, and a Level 1 out of 4 threat on Tuesday.

In addition to a flood threat from excessive rainfall, there are coastal flood concerns due to water pushing onshore.

“What (the storm) is doing, though, is it’s pushing a lot of the winds onto shore, and you also have high pressure doing the same thing,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Haley Meier said. “So, it’s that compound effect kind of pushing all that to spots like Virginia, the Carolinas, through the Outer Banks.”

As a result, Coastal Flood Advisories, Coastal Flood Watches, Wind Advisories and High Surf Advisories are all in effect from North Carolina to Virginia.

Wind gusts of up to 60 mph are possible, and waves between 6 and 10 feet can be expected to crash onshore. 

On Monday, gusts near 60 are already being recorded in North Carolina and causing power outages across the region. 

FOX Weather Correspondent Katie Byrne is reporting from Nags Head, North Carolina, where relentless winds are blasting the beaches. 

Top wind reports.
(FOX Weather)

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In addition, life-threatening rip currents are possible up and down the East Coast from Florida to the Northeast, and people are being urged to stay out of the water.

Those conditions will give coastal communities from the Outer Banks in North Carolina to Virginia a tropical-like feel.

However, this system is not expected to become a tropical storm because the waters in the Atlantic offshore are too cool for development. Instead, the FOX Forecast Center said the storm is forming because of the clash between warm air offshore and cooler air moving in from the land.

That process, according to the FOX Forecast Center, produces strong, nor’easter-type storm systems rather than tropical ones.