It was predicted that Hurricane Chantal, which originated off the southeast coast of the United States, would bring torrential rains to portions of the Carolinas on Saturday. Parts of the two states were under tropical storm warnings, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.
The center of the storm was roughly 185 miles (300 kilometers) south-southwest of Wilmington, North Carolina, and 105 miles (170 kilometers) southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, at 2 p.m. EDT. It was traveling north at 3 mph (6 kph) and had recorded maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph).
The center of the storm was predicted to sweep across the South Carolina coast late Saturday or early Sunday, and more strengthening was predicted before the storm made ashore.
Through Monday, a total of 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) of rain was predicted over the Carolinas’ coastal plain, with local totals of up to 6 inches posing a risk of flash flooding.
