Tropical storm conditions expected for parts of the Carolinas as disturbance approaches coast

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical storm conditions were expected along a stretch of the U.S. Southeast seacoast and the system bringing gusty winds, heavy rain and potential flooding was stronger, forecasters said Monday morning.

The storm system was expected to reach the South Carolina coast Monday afternoon and then move inland across the Carolinas from Monday night through Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

A tropical storm warning was in effect from Edisto Beach, South Carolina, northward to Ocracoke Inlet, near the southernmost extreme of North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

The low-pressure system was centered early Monday about 95 miles (155 kilometers) east-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina. It had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) and was moving to the northwest at 3 mph (6 kph), forecasters said.

The chances of the system becoming a tropical or subtropical cyclone may have started to decrease since the area of low pressure seemed to have become less organized and it had about 12 hours before it would move inland, the hurricane center said.

Maximum winds were expected to decrease as the low approaches the coast, but tropical-storm-force winds were still expected to occur within the warning areas. It would likely dissipate over the Carolinas by late Wednesday, forecasters said.

The storm was expected to dump 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of rain in northeast South Carolina into southeast North Carolina and up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) in isolated spots, with smaller amounts expected across the remainder of North Carolina through Tuesday, according to forecasters.

Over much of Virginia, 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 8 centimeters) of rainfall, with locally higher amounts, were expected from Monday night through Wednesday. The hurricane center predicted the rainfall could lead to isolated and scattered flash and urban flooding, as well as minor river flooding.

The Southeast coast also could expect rough surf over the next few days, forecasters said.