Tropical Storm Ophelia Off the Mid-Atlantic Coast Producing Winds Just Below Hurricane Force

Waves break along the jetty at Rudee Inlet in Virginia Beach, Va., on Sept. 22, 2023, as Tropical Storm Ophelia approaches the area. Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot via AP

ANNAPOLIS, Md.—Tropical Storm Ophelia gained strength as it churned toward the North Carolina coast on Friday, promising a weekend of heavy rain and windy conditions throughout the mid-Atlantic.

Forecasters issued a hurricane watch for parts of eastern North Carolina. The storm was expected to make landfall in North Carolina on Saturday morning and dump as much as 7 inches (17.7 centimeters) of rain across portions of the state and into southeast Virginia.