Tropical Storm Maria was upgraded to hurricane status with sustained winds of 75 mph, but it’s expected to weaken within the next two days.

Maria had been downgraded to a tropical storm Tuesday afternoon as consistent wind speeds dropped below the threshold of 75 mph, but strengthened back into a hurricane by Wednesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 11 a.m. report.

Winds picked up along the Outer Banks on Wednesday, and weather forecasters warned of flooding as deep as 4 feet in spots while Hurricane Maria cruised north about 150 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean.

Dare County schools were closed for a second day, and officials said Currituck County schools were closed because buses could not operate safely in high winds.

Dominion Energy and the Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative reported only scattered power outages.

The National Weather Service reported steady winds of 23 mph at the Manteo airport and gust of 41 mph about 4:30 a.m. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers research station in Duck was reporting steady winds of about 40 mph.

Hatteras and Ocracoke islands lost about 10,000 visitors to evacuation orders earlier in the week, the Associated Press reported.

The storm’s consistent winds were about 70 mph Wednesday morning, however, and the National Hurricane Center warned that Maria was still a dangerous storm.

There was a storm surge warning from Ocracoke Inlet to Cape Hatteras and a storm surge watch from Cape Hatteras to Duck.

A tropical storm warning was in effect from Ocracoke Inlet to the Virginia border.

“North Carolina is weathering the storm well so far, but it’s early and we can’t let our guard down,” Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday. “Maria’s effects will last through tomorrow and beyond and I urge people in coastal areas to stay alert and ready.”

Most state ferry service along the Outer Banks were canceled Wednesday while Maria passed.