Storm heading out of area

The wind has decreased, skies are clearing and the threat from a coastal storm has diminished, officials said.

Scattered showers are still possible in the area today, according to the National Weather Service, but the storm that brought high winds and high river levels Wednesday and Thursday has moved inland and is weakening.

The storm brought a peak wind gust of 41 mph to Cherry Point and dropped 2.87 inches of rain. The wind blew down a tree on Belltown Road Thursday in Havelock, blocking one lane. However, city crews quickly cut up the tree and cleared the street.

Craven County Emergency Management reported some minor street flooding in the Adams Creek area, but roads were never closed.

Some minor flooding was also reported in Carteret County, where a peak wind gust of 45 mph was reported at Cedar Island.

The storm never gained tropical characteristics. Chris Collins, with the National Weather Service in Newport, said the storm was a typical nor'easter type storm. The only odd thing was the storm developed relatively early in the season, and instead of tracking up the East Coast, actually moved inland into North Carolina.

The forecast from the weather service calls for a 50 percent chance of rain today with high temperatures near 80. Saturday should be partly cloudy with just a slight chance of rain and a high of 83, with similar conditions predicted on Sunday.

Tropical Storm Kyle, which is moving north and will be well off the coast of North Carolina through the weekend, is expected to bring some high surf to the Carteret County beaches over the weekend. Waves are expected to be eight feet with a high risk of rip currents.