Wrightsville Beach waits for Ophelia

The latest NOAA Tropical Storm Ophelia advisory places the storm approximately 175 miles east of Charleston. At Wrightsville Beach we're still waiting to see what she'll do. She's headed NW at a speed of 4mph w/ sustained winds of 70mph. While no longer hurricane strength, it will be interesting to see what effect the Gulf Stream has on Ophelia's magnitude and course. This time of year, the Gulf Stream is about 60 miles off Wrightsville Beach's coast. We may be seeing some of Ophelia's rain bands by tonight; right now all we have are strong winds of about 35 mph.


The beach was empty, except for a few people and news crews recording the conditions. The Atlantic Ocean was sloshing like a washing machine! Waves over 10'; not a surfer was in sight.






























My back yard is starting to show signs of Ophelia. The water, even on a high tide, seldom overtakes our bulkhead. The intracoastal's waters are already lapping into the yard!