Tropical Storm Elsa Could Bring Heavy Rain To The Triad

Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall along Florida's Gulf Coast Wednesday morning, and is forecast to make its way through North Carolina Thursday. 

Impacts are expected to be relatively minor, with the eastern part of the state bearing the brunt. Wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour are possible east of US-1. The same area could see heavy rain and flooding too. 

But Nick Petro, with the National Weather Service in Raleigh, says that doesn't mean Western North Carolina will be totally unaffected.

“I don't want to leave out the Triad as potentially getting that one to two inch or maybe one to three inch rainfall amounts, we'll see,” he says. 

Petro says that heavy rain could lead to flash flooding in some areas.

The current forecast suggests the storm will move through the state between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., with the highest risk for flooding occurring during the afternoon hours.