Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall Wednesday near Charleston, South Carolina, less than two hours after becoming a named storm, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Bertha is the second named tropical storm of the 2020 hurricane season, following Tropical Storm Arthur, which brushed the coast of North Carolina two weekends ago then veered into the Atlantic.
Bertha began as a disturbance that developed over Florida during the holiday weekend. It then quickly churned its way up the coast, where it gained enough strength to become a named storm by early Wednesday.
Bertha had sustained winds of about 50 mph when it came ashore about 20 miles east of Charleston, according to CNN.
The Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning on the South Carolina coast from Edisto Beach to South Santee River, CNN reported.
Heavy rain, flooding and gusty winds are expected as the storm moves farther inland, and weaken to a tropical depression.
Meteorologists warned of rip currents in Georgia that could be possible throughout the day.
The storm was centered about 40 miles northeast of Charleston, South Carolina, and was moving north near 15 mph, The Associated Press reports.
There were already reports of minor flooding in Charleston that closed a few streets. The Post and Courier reported that cars parked along America Street had water above the doors.
Forecasters expected about four inches of rain through eastern South Carolina into North Carolina and Virginia, AP reports. Flash flood watches were issued as the region has already seen plenty of rain in May.
— This is a breaking story. Please stay with AJC.com for the latest developments.
About the Author
