Ophelia makes landfall, lashing mid-Atlantic

EMERALD ISLE, N.C. – Powerful Tropical Storm Ophelia made landfall in North Carolina early Saturday morning at near-hurricane-force strength, lashing a large swath of the mid-Atlantic with blistering winds, heavy rains and dangerous storm surge. The center of Ophelia made landfall near Emerald Isle about 6:15 a.m. ET with maximum winds of about 70 mph, falling just short of reaching hurricane status, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). However, Ophelia's impacts stretch far beyond its center, with Tropical Storm Warnings covering 7 million people along the Eastern Seaboard as the storm bore down on communities east of Interstate 95.