Now a tropical depression, Laura may impact part of North Carolina. Here’s the latest

Hurricane Laura made landfall near Lake Charles, Louisiana, early Thursday and the storm’s lingering strength may be felt this weekend in North Carolina.

Laura came ashore as a Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds, and weakened to a tropical depression by Friday morning, with winds at 40 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A “probable path” for the wet and windy remnants shows the storm banking right at Arkansas and sliding north of the North Carolina-Virginia state line on Saturday.

Rain will stretch across much of North Carolina, with the heaviest expected Saturday in the mountains, forecasters say.

“Western North Carolina could experience heavy rain and strong wind gusts beginning Friday night. Damaging winds and possibly even tornadoes are possible Saturday as the storm passes north of the area. Continue to monitor the latest forecast for any updates,” the National Weather Service reported Thursday.

Winds of 50 mph could bring down trees and 2 inches of rain could fall, bringing the possibility of minor flooding. Strong winds are also possible, the NWS says.

Counties in the southwestern corner of North Carolina could see as much as 4 inches of rain and are at higher risk of flash flooding, the National Hurricane Center says.

Charlotte has a 60% chance of thunderstorms Saturday with wind gusts in the 26 mph range, and Raleigh has a 50% chance.

This story was originally published August 26, 2020 at 8:17 AM.