A trifecta of watches remains in effect for Beaufort County as of Wednesday morning. The county is currently under a hurricane watch, a flash flood watch and a storm surge watch, and could see the earliest impacts from Hurricane Dorian tomorrow.

As of this morning, tropical storm force winds are projected to most likely arrive on Thursday night and continue into Friday evening, according to NWS meteorologists.

Rainfall totals of eight to 10 inches are predicted for most of Beaufort County, leaving the whole county under a high threat of flooding from rain. Isolated areas could receive up to 15 inches. NWS meteorologists say this could contribute to major flooding on tributaries feeding into the Pamlico and Pungo rivers, with flash flooding risks could come as early as Thursday, continuing into Friday.

In terms of storm surge, Beaufort County could see inundation between three and five feet on the Pamlico and Pungo rivers. The NWS forecasts that storm surge inundation could begin as early as Thursday, leaving low-lying areas flooded.

“Not everyone on this map will see these values, but this is a credible worst case scenario,” explained one meteorologist during a Wednesday morning webinar.

The wind threat from Dorian is listed as moderate in Beaufort County, creating an elevated risk for power and communication outages throughout the area. While the tornado threat is slightly elevated, the NWS does not predict significant impact from tornados.

Although the arrival of tropical storm force winds has been pushed back slightly, the National Weather Service says that should not delay preparations for possible impacts from Hurricane Dorian.

“Now is the time to complete your hurricane preparedness plans,” read a Wednesday morning update from the NWS.