Tropical storm warnings have been issued from Edisto Beach, South Carolina northward to Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina. The disturbance is being called Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight, a designation used by the National Hurricane Center to denote a storm that has not yet formed but is expected to soon and will bring impacts within the 48-hour window that requires alerts to be issued.

The rain from the system had moved into southeast Virginia on Tuesday. Along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, the storm closed vulnerable coastal highway North Carolina 12 on Ocracoke Island and threatened several homes in Rodanthe, where erosion and rising sea levels have destroyed more than a half-dozen beachfront homes this decade.

More than 18 inches of rain fell across parts of the Wilmington area Monday, surprising both residents and local officials.