Tropical Storm Ophelia made landfall on the North Carolina coast early Saturday, bringing damaging winds and dangerous surges of water, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm was later downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone. Although weakened, Ophelia still posed a risk of coastal and flash flooding across the Mid-Atlantic region, with flash flooding anticipated from Virginia to New Jersey through Sunday. Videos from social media showed riverfront communities in North Carolina, including New Bern, Belhaven, and Washington, experiencing significant flooding, although the extent of the damage was not immediately clear.

By Saturday night, the center of Ophelia had moved into southeastern Virginia, and it was projected to reach the Delmarva Peninsula, which includes portions of Maryland and Delaware, on Sunday. In Atlantic City, flooding caused the closure of Route 40 and other roads, prompting the City of Atlantic City to provide updates on closures via their Facebook page.

As of Saturday evening, Ophelia had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and was located about 30 miles southwest of Richmond, Virginia. Radar, hurricane hunter aircraft, and ground observers confirmed that Ophelia's center made landfall near Emerald Isle, North Carolina, at around 6:15 a.m. local time with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph.

Even before reaching land, Ophelia proved treacherous enough to require the Coast Guard to rescue five people from a boat anchored near the North Carolina coastline on Friday night. The storm also prompted the governors of North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland to declare a state of emergency, resulting in the early closure of some schools and the cancellation of several weekend events.

The primary risk associated with the storm system over the next couple of days is the threat of floods caused by heavy rainfall. Philippe Papin, a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center, emphasized this risk, stating, "There is a significant flooding rainfall threat for a large portion of eastern North Carolina into southern Virginia over the next 12 to 24 hours." Despite the observation of tropical storm-force winds, these were expected to gradually subside as the system moved further inland.

Brian Haines, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management, reported downed trees but no major road closures. However, Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks noted that the combination of heavy rain and gusty winds could bring down trees and limbs, leading to power outages.

Amid the storm's impact, the Coast Guard successfully rescued five individuals, including three children aged 10 or younger, who were stranded on a sailboat in choppy waters near Cape Lookout, North Carolina. The sailboat's owner had called for help, prompting a nighttime rescue mission. The crew used flares to navigate to the stranded individuals, brought them aboard the Coast Guard boat, and safely returned to the station.

In terms of sports and entertainment, the Washington Nationals baseball team postponed its Saturday game until Sunday. Meanwhile, at the southern tip of North Carolina's Outer Banks, the long-running Beaufort Pirate Invasion event faced disruptions due to the storm. Carl Cannon Jr., an organizer, expressed hopes of salvaging some of the weekend's activities but acknowledged the damage caused by the storm's winds, which tore down tents and affected planned events.

Looking ahead, forecasters warned of possible flash flooding across the Mid-Atlantic region on Sunday, extending from North Carolina to New Jersey. By Saturday evening, over 14,000 customers were without power in North Carolina, and over 12,000 in Virginia, according to utility tracker PowerOutage.us. The storm was projected to weaken further and become a post-tropical cyclone by Sunday.