ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County is under a flood watch until 12 a.m. Sept. 1 as Hurricane Idelia makes its way across the Southeast.
The Category 3 storm reportedly made landfall on the Gulf Coast of Florida, southeast of Tallahassee, around 8 a.m. Wednesday and is forecast to travel across southern Georgia and skirt along the coastline before veering into the Atlantic Ocean near Wilmington on Thursday.
The 11 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center reported that sustained winds had dropped from around 130 mph to 90 mph.
The National Weather Service is predicting this area could see winds of 15-30 mph Wednesday evening through Thursday night, with gusts of 30-40 mph. Those conditions could result in downed trees and power outages in the region.
Richmond County could see 2-5 inches of rain associated with the storm, according to the current forecast, with a possibility of flash flooding.
Scotland, Hoke, Robeson, Marlboro, Darlington, Dillon and Florence counties are among those currently under a tropical storm warning. Areas along the Interstate-95 corridor could see up to 10 inches of rain, according to predictions.
