Lashing rain, 45 mph winds and coastal floods were possible along the Southeast's coast Friday as Subtropical Storm Ana drifted toward the Carolinas, forecasters warned.
The first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season was centered about 140 miles southeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, by Friday night, the National Hurricane Center said in an 11 p.m. ET update. Earlier, at 5 a.m., the storm was centered about 160 miles away.
The storm was moving at about 2 mph, and was forecast to be near the North Carolina and South Carolina coasts by Sunday morning, according to the hurricane center. Maximum sustained winds strengthened to 60 mph Friday.
A large section of coast from Cape Lookout, North Carolina, to the South Santee River, south of Myrtle Beach, was under a tropical storm warning. A tropical storm watch was issued further south to Edisto Beach, past Charleston.
Tropical storm conditions, including rip currents and beach erosion, were possible along coastal parts of the Southeast by Saturday afternoon, it said.
The weather system is expected to deliver up to four inches of rain over eastern areas of both Carolinas over the weekend, and was already creating heavy surf and swells.
“With Northeast high pressure blocking the system, it may linger in the eastern Carolinas, prolonging impacts through the weekend,” Weather Channel forecaster Michael Palmer said.
