Roanoke-Chowan area citizens along with those in northeast corner of the state and southside Virginia need to be on the alert today (Tuesday) as the weather is expected to worsen.

As of late Monday afternoon, Tropical Cyclone 10 had not quite made it to tropical storm status as it sat off the coast of South Carolina.

The storm is expected to trek northeast today, hopefully moving away from the North Carolina coast, but wind and heavy rain are still possible.

It appears that the heaviest rain will fall along the coast, where estimates range from 6 to 7 inches. In the R-C area, the forecast is 2 to 4 inches, with higher amounts possible in some portions of the region.

Wind gusts locally could reach 30 to 40 mph. Area residents are advised to store away lawn furniture and other outdoor items that could be impacted by the wind.

On Monday, the National Weather Service placed most all of northeastern North Carolina under a Flash Flood Watch, to include Bertie, Gates, and Hertford counties until 8 p.m. tonight.

Periods of moderate to heavy rainfall along with possible embedded thunderstorms are expected across the northeast corner of North Carolina and southside Hampton Roads. The runoff from the heavy rainfall may result in rapid rises in streams and creeks, as well as ponding of water on roadways. This could quickly result in flooding, especially in low lying and poor drainage areas.

Local residents are encouraged to monitor all weather stations today for the latest update on this tropical system.