Heavy rainfall and gusty winds are hitting portions of the Carolinas Monday morning as a system that could become Tropical Storm Helene draws closer.

A severe storm system that's taking aim at the Mid-Atlantic has flooded the Carolinas with "historic" rains, inundating homes, stranding vehicles and prompting water rescues. The big picture: Flash flood and tropical storm warnings were in effect for portions of North and South Carolina Monday into Tuesday due to the unnamed system that the National Hurricane Center referred to as Potential Tropical Cyclone 8,

The storm did flood several blocks of Carolina Beach, North Carolina, and bring widespread wind gusts over 40 mph. North Carolina's governor urged people to stay off the roads in stormy conditions.