Claudette expected to hit North Carolina coast late Sunday and Monday; could strengthen to tropical storm

Tornado warnings have been issued for southeastern Pasquotank and Perquimans counties in northeastern North Carolina and much of the state’s coast is already under a tropical storm warning as Claudette continues its march across the southeast.

Tropical Depression Claudette, expected to re-intensify into a tropical storm, could bring heavy rain, strong wind gusts and localized flooding to the North Carolina coast late Sunday night and into Monday, the National Hurricane Center said Sunday.

Some of the coast could see between 2 and 4 inches of rain. Locally heavy rain, and possibly minor flooding, could occur in some parts of northeast North Carolina, said the National Weather Service’s Wakefield office. The office said there is a “low, but non-zero chance of a brief spin-up tornado” in that same area Sunday night. The tornado warnings in Pasquotank and Perquimans counties will last until 4:15 p.m. Sunday.

Claudette, the third named storm of the season, brought tornadoes to portions of Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi on Saturday.

Peter Coutu, 757-222-5124, peter.coutu@pilotonline.com