Chantal made landfall early Sunday morning near Litchfield Beach, S.C., as a tropical storm, later weakening to a tropical depression as it moved inland and caused flooding in some parts of North Carolina, officials said.
Key Things to Know:
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Chantal will continue to produce heavy rains across parts of central North Carolina and south-central Virginia into Monday, the National Hurricane Center said on Sunday.
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Rainfall of two to four inches, with local amounts of up to six inches, can be expected, raising the risk of flash flooding, the center said.
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An isolated tornado or two was possible on Sunday over parts of eastern North Carolina.
Heavy rains led to widespread flooding across Moore County in central North Carolina on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
Emergency responders in Southern Pines, N.C., made three swift water rescues of people trapped in their vehicles, said Mike Cameron, assistant town manager and fire chief for Southern Pines, which is about 40 miles west of Fayetteville, N.C.
Some homes and apartments were flooded, and roads were under water on Sunday, Chief Cameron said. There were reports of downed power lines and trees, though no injuries or fatalities were reported, he said.
Chief Cameron also said that a dam broke in the Longleaf area, which contributed to the flooding.
A flash flood warning was in effect for central North Carolina on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
Some tornadoes were possible on Sunday across portions of eastern North Carolina, and life-threatening surf and rip currents were possible along the coast from northeastern Florida to the Mid-Atlantic states.
Steve Pfaff, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Wilmington, N.C., said that some eastern parts of the Carolinas had received minor flooding.
“Fortunately, the storm is moving along,” Mr. Pfaff said. “If it was moving much slower, we’d definitely have issues with the rainfall rates.”
The rain and thunderstorms are expected to taper off across North Carolina on Monday but there will be a chance of isolated heavy downpours with a risk of flash flooding northward into southern Virginia through the day.
By Monday night, Chantal is forecast to have completely dissipated.
Remnant moisture from the system is expected to move northeastward, bringing a chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast through Tuesday,
“Some thunderstorms could produce locally heavy rainfall,” said Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center.
An Above-Average Hurricane Season
The Atlantic hurricane season started on June 1 and runs through Nov. 30. After a slow start, there have been two tropical storms so far: Andrea, which formed on June 24 and dissipated a day later, and Barry, which formed in the Gulf on Sunday just off Mexico’s coast before making landfall that night.
In May, forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that this year would be an above-average hurricane season, with 13 to 19 named storms. Typically, the most destructive storms come later in the summer.
Experts think it is probable that a major hurricane will make landfall in the United States this season. Climate experts have warned that intense storms like these are more likely to occur, with more rapid intensification likely in a warming world.
Last year was also one of the most costly for hurricanes in the United States.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton combined caused about $113 billion in damage and more than 250 deaths. This May, the Trump administration said it would no longer maintain a database of so-called billion-dollar disasters.
Eduardo Medina Alexandra E. Petri and Amy Graff contributed reporting.
Judson Jones is a meteorologist and reporter for The Times who forecasts and covers extreme weather.
Nazaneen Ghaffar is a Times reporter on the Weather team.
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