Hurricane Helene, which has now weakened to a tropical storm, is bringing dual threats of wind and flooding to Trump National Golf Club Charlotte in Mooresville, North Carolina.
Helene made landfall late Thursday night about 10 miles west of Perry, Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The storm was a Category 4 hurricane at the time, with maximum sustained winds at around 140 mph. The storm brought life-threatening storm surge, devastating winds and torrential rain to the area, which contributed to excessive flooding across several Florida cities. Seventeen people have died from the storm, the Associated Press reported.
The storm has quickly moved through the Sunshine State and is now a tropical storm with winds of 60 mph over Georgia and South Carolina. As it moves further inland, the massive storm has brought flooding and winds across North Carolina, including in Iredell County where former president Donald Trump’s golf club is located.
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National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Andrew Kimball told Newsweek that Mooresville has received as much as 6.93 inches of rain, nearly double the county’s average monthly rainfall for September. Although rain has mostly stopped, Kimball said flooding could persist throughout the weekend, considering areas upstream received even more rain than Iredell County.
As of Friday morning, NWS meteorologists have issued several weather-related alerts for Iredell County, including a wind advisory and a flash flood warning, both which are expected to bring damage and danger across the county.
NWS meteorologists warned flash flood was either “ongoing or expected to begin shortly,” adding that the floods would be “life-threatening.”
Locations that will experience flash floods include Mooresville, where the golf club is located.
Newsweek reached out to Trump National Golf Club Charlotte by email for comment.
Strong winds, especially when accompanied by moist soils from the excessive rain, also could cause damage in Mooresville. Gusts up to 55 mph were expected in Iredell County through 2 p.m. Eastern time.
“Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. The combination of strong wind gusts with wet and loose soil will cause more trees to fall than is typical with these winds,” the wind advisory said. “Scattered power outages are possible.”
Kimball told Newsweek that there have been lots of reports about fallen trees blocking roadways and power outages. According to a power outage map, more than 16,000 Iredell County residents were without power as of Friday afternoon.
Storm remnants from Hurricane Helene are expected to bring winds up to 60 mph as far north as Indiana this weekend. AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said that Helene is moving “quicker than other hurricanes,” meaning it won’t lose wind intensity as quickly as it cuts inland.
