Raleigh, N.C. ? Hundreds of National Guard troops were on alert and officials in the Carolinas warned residents to be ready for anything Wednesday as Ernesto – upgraded late Wednesday to a tropical storm – moved north away from Florida.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami estimated that Ernesto had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph east of the system’s center.

Forecasters said Ernesto could drench the eastern half of North Carolina with as much as seven inches of rain today and Friday. A separate storm system arriving ahead of Ernesto also threatened to soak the region.

Ernesto had weakened to a tropical depression while crawling north through Florida. Its winds were less a concern to emergency officials than the prospect of downpours.