*Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect that two tornadoes briefly touched down Wednesday evening in Brunswick and New Hanover counties.
The storm, which was roughly 20 miles off the southeastern coast when it passed around 6 a.m. Thursday morning did flood some streets, down trees, and cause power outages.
As of Thursday morning, there were about 5,000 county residents without power; however, around mid-afternoon, that number was down to only 50.
New Hanover County resident, Ellie Coleman, who lives off Princess Place said the storm knocked out power at their home for 10 hours. Coleman finally got connected back to power around 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
Steven Still, the county’s Director of Emergency Management, said people should remain vigilant throughout the Labor Day Holiday weekend.
“We're going to continue to have dangerous marine conditions for the foreseeable future, at least until Tuesday. [...] Be careful in and about the water this weekend. If you're uncomfortable with your swimming abilities, don't chance it, and don't venture out," he said.
Those dangerous conditions are large swells and the increased presence of rip currents. If you’re caught in one, swim parallel to shore until you can safely get out of the water.
At a 1:00 press briefing, Still also said that teams with the National Weather Service (NWS) were still working on determining whether tornadoes touched down near the towns of Carolina Beach and Leland. So far, no significant damage had been reported.
As of Thursday evening, the NWS did confirm that an EF1 tornado briefly touched down at 7:25 on Wednesday evening in Brunswick County. Another tornado of this size briefly touched down at 7:31 in southern New Hanover County.
A spokesperson for the National Weather Service said to also expect some river flooding into the weekend. For example, the Little Pee Dee River at Galivants Ferry in Orry County, South Carolina, will see major flooding, reaching 12 feet, possibly. Moderate flooding is expected for the Northeast Cape Fear River near Burgaw and the Black Creek near Quinby.
