Chantal Brings Heavy Rain to the Carolinas After Myrtle Beach Landfall; No Threat to Alabama

Tropical Depression Chantal made landfall early this morning near Myrtle Beach, SC, as a 50–60 mph tropical storm. Winds gusted between 45 and 55 mph from Myrtle Beach northward to Bald Head Island before the system began weakening over land. As of late Sunday morning, Chantal’s center was located near the North Carolina–South Carolina border and is now tracking northward into eastern North Carolina.

The main concern now is heavy rainfall across the Piedmont region of North Carolina, including Raleigh-Durham, Fayetteville, and Goldsboro, where 1 to 4 inches of rain is expected through tonight. Flooding is possible in urban and low-lying areas. Lesser rainfall amounts of under 1 inch are forecast for southern Virginia and the remainder of eastern North Carolina. An isolated tornado or two also remains possible today in the eastern part of the state.

Chantal is expected to become a remnant low on Monday, move off the Delmarva Peninsula, and pass southeast of Cape Cod on Tuesday before exiting into the open Atlantic.

Importantly, Alabama is not impacted by Chantal, and our forecast remains focused on the typical early July pattern of scattered thunderstorms and seasonal heat.

Elsewhere in the tropics, conditions are expected to remain quiet through the week. Looking ahead to mid-July, some model guidance—mainly the GFS—is hinting at potential tropical mischief in the northeastern Gulf, possibly linked to a stalled frontal boundary. Ensemble support is limited at this time, and this scenario is not a cause for concern—just something to casually monitor.

Category: Alabama’s Weather, ALL POSTS, Social Media, Tropical