Slideshow: Coastal Storm photos

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. (AP) -- Strong winds kicked up rough surf Thursday as an intense low-pressure system chugged toward the Southeast coast with wind gusts of up to 50 mph, knocking out power to thousands of homes in Hampton Roads.

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The wind blows the coat of a Sheltie.

About 2,000 homes and businesses were without power by 4:00 p.m. Thursday.

By rush hour, drivers were having a hard time getting around. Ttraffic kights were malfunctioning in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Newport News. On I-264 West near Military Highway, a vehicle overturned, forcing State Police to block one lane.

On the interstates, some areas were reporting standing water. In Portsmouth, on I-264 East near Frederick Blvd., police had to block one lane because of standing water.

Northampton County Public Schools closed around 1:40 p.m. due to minor flooding around the schools, so officials wanted to make sure children safely got home.

There also are travel restrictions on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

High water closed streets and bridges in Hampton, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Norfolk. MacArthur Center in downtown Norfolk opened its garages for residents to park their vehicles for free through Friday.

In the Larchmont section of Norfolk, residents say they're not worried when they see rising water.

“I’ve seen it like this before. I’ve been here a little over 10 years and maybe once every two or three years, a big nor’easter comes along,” said one resident.

In Suffolk, the 700 block of North Main Street is closed due to flooding. City officials say the area will re-open and close based on the tides. There’s high water on the access road to Oak Island (private road at the end of Elizabeth Street) and the access road leading to the island at the end of Bracey Drive.

Video: 13News Team Coverage: Coastal storm hits Hampton Roads

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Street flooding was reported in Hampton in the Buckroe section and along Windmill Point Road.

In Gloucester, county officials briefly opened an emergency information helpline for residents.

“We handled a very few citizen calls, mostly about weather/storm updates and degree of expected tidal flooding,” said Christi Lewis, Director, Gloucester Community Education.

Dare, Currituck and Cataret counties in North Carolina cancelled school Thursday while a few other school systems opened late.

Dare County, North Carolina officials say Highway 12 on Hatteras Island will reopen for several hours by noon.  Road closures caused by ocean overwash are anticipated in the area north of Rodanthe during high tides over the next 36 to 48 hours. 

The road was closed mid-afternoon Wednesday because of water and sand from the storm.

The coastal storm warning is in effect from noon to 8:00 p.m. Thursday and a high surf advisory is in effect until noon Friday.

The weather service said there was a high risk of rip currents along the northern South Carolina coast and warned "no one should enter the water through Thursday night." Forecasters said the surf would be rough and chaotic with waves reaching 7 feet.

A hurricane hunter aircraft was being sent into the storm to check again for tropical characteristics, said Jim Merrell at the weather service bureau in Newport. The plane sent into the storm a day earlier didn't find any tropical characteristics.

"The effects of it are being felt from the Southeast in Florida all the way to the Northeast," Neuherz said, but said the rain from the storm was less than an inch.

Sharon Kearns, Yorktown

Waves churcn among the pilings at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton.

Gale warnings were posted for most of the Southeast coast from the Georgia coast to as far north as Massachusetts. Forecasters also said winds to 46 mph and seas as high as 22 feet were expected in the Atlantic.

Strong winds from the wide-reaching storm were expected to whip well inland in some places, gusting to as high as 45 mph and threatening to spin off tornadoes across the eastern third of North Carolina on Thursday, the weather service said.

"Nobody's fishing. The ocean's too choppy. Solid whitecaps. The wind's ripping," said Ocracoke Island charter captain Dave Nagel. "It's just a regular old nor'easter."

The movie premier of "Nights in Rodanthe" went on as scheduled on the Outer Banks on Wednesday night for locals who were extras in the film, said tourism bureau chief Carolyn McCormick. People who couldn't get home from Kill Devil Hills were given cut rates at local motels.

"The house was full. People clapped through it," McCormick said, adding that only four people didn't make it and those were from Ocracoke Island.

In Annapolis, Md., city officials were offering sandbags to prepare for the possibility of flooding in the low-lying City Dock area. They will likely be available through Friday.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)