The National Weather Service issued this map Wednesday showing the projected path of the storm. (Photo courtesy National Weather Service)
Tropical Storm Arthur is projected to become a hurricane Thursday, however the brunt of the wind and rain is projected to miss the Historic Triangle.
The National Weather Service’s Wakefield office and the National Hurricane Center are projecting about 1 inch of rain on the Virginia Peninsula, with flooding in areas with poor drainage and winds between 15 to 25 mph with gusts of up to 30 mph.
The bulk of the storm is forecast to move past the Historic Triangle by 2 p.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm is projected to create storm surges of up to 1 foot and waves of 1 to 3 feet on the James and York rivers. No tornadoes are projected to be spawned by Arthur.
The coastal cities of Hampton Roads and the Outer Banks are forecast to receive the brunt of the tropical storm force wind gusts and heavy rains.
York County announced on its Facebook page Wednesday that county officials are monitoring the situation and, if necessary, some or all of the events planned for Yorktown’s Fourth of July celebration will be canceled.
Colonial Williamsburg has a daylong July 4 celebration planned, however a determination as to its fate likely won’t be made until Friday, said Colonial Williamsburg Spokesperson Jim Bradley.
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management has created a Tumblr page to blog about the storm. In a Tuesday news release, VDEM State Coordinator Jeff Stern urged citizens and tourists to pay attention to forecasts and take necessary precautions.
“Virginia state agencies are getting ready for the storm, and so should our residents and visitors,” Stern said.
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