LUMBERTON — The National Weather Service left Robeson County out of its hazard watch for Tropical Storm Ida earlier this week, but after 3 inches of rain fell in the county — and 4 inches in the easternmost part — on Wednesday, a hazardous outlook has been issued.

The service warns that through today, wind gusts up to 35 mph — on top of 21 mph sustained winds and a drizzle — will sweep through the area.

An additional one-tenth of an inch of rain is expected through Friday, when winds will slow to about 16 mph.

Ida, formerly a hurricane, moved from Alabama through Georgia on Wednesday, and entered Florida in the evening.

The Sheriff’s Office said that there has been no major flooding in Robeson County, but many trees were downed because of gusts that reached 35 mph Wednesday night. Lumbee River Electric Membership said 429 customers in northern Lumberton lost power on Wednesday because of winds and fallen trees, but power had been restored by this morning.

Everett Davis, county extension director, said the moisture was sorely needed.

“Before this rain started, we were almost 18 inches below normal for the year,” he said. “It is important to point out how severe the drought is in this part of the state. It is most severe in our county and the surrounding area. In other areas, it’s been 12, 10 inches below normal.”

Davis said the cumulative 4 inches of rain from the past two days has reduced the drought to 13 or 14 inches below normal through this time of the year.

“The groundwater table is still extremely low,” he said. “We need the water, we need the rain.”

Hurricane season officially ended Nov. 1, so a tropical storm is rare for this time of year. Davis said winter rains — where it rains all day or for two days — should partially replenish the groundwater supply, and also help along the wheat crops that are being planted right now.

But the water situation is not cut and dry: Soybean and cotton crops are mature and need to be harvested, so the rain is keeping farmers out of the field, and also damaging the crops, Davis said, adding “this wind will probably blow the cotton off the plants.”

“We need rain for wheat, we need rain for groundwater, but don’t need rain for soybeans and cotton,” he said.

In other parts of the state and up along the East Coast, gale, high wind and storm warnings were in effect this morning.

There was less than an inch of rain in parts of Charlotte, but parts of Sampson County had 4 inches of rain, and parts of Craven County were hit with nearly 6 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

The Associated Press reported that thousands of residents in other parts of the state lost power because of heavy rain and wind and fallen trees, including at least 11,000 people in the Charlotte area. Roads across the state were closed because of flooding and fallen trees, and many schools in the Wilmington area opened late.

In South Carolina, state health officials blamed the heavy rains for overwhelming sewage plants in the Columbia area, dumping some raw sewage into three rivers.

But don’t worry about the weekend: The forecast is for nearly 70 degrees and mostly sunny conditions on Saturday and Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

— Staff writer Amy Banton and the Associated Press contributed to this story.