Tropical Storm Eta hits the Carolinas

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Floodwater submerges a vehicle on Freedom Drive in Charlotte, N.C., on Thursday. Associated Press/ Photo by Jeff Siner via The Charlotte Observer

At least four people died in Alexander County, N.C., on Thursday and two others remain missing. Eta struck the Carolinas hours after passing through north Florida. Officials reported another child drowned in Rolesville, north of Raleigh. Sandy LaCourte, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Greenville, S.C., said at least one bridge collapsed in the state as Eta triggered flash flooding and road closures. The storm killed at least one person in Florida.

Where is Eta headed next? The National Hurricane Center on Thursday night said Eta was centered about 65 miles east-southeast of Charleston with sustained winds of 45 miles per hour. The storm will pick up speed in the next day or two as it pulls away from the southeast U.S. coast. Late on Thursday, Tropical Storm Theta was centered about 440 miles south of the Azores as it moved east.

Dig deeper: Follow the latest developments at the National Hurricane Center.

Onize Ohikere

Onize is WORLD’s Africa reporter and deputy global desk chief. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate and earned a journalism degree from Minnesota State University–Moorhead. Onize resides in Abuja, Nigeria.

@onize_ohiks