Tropical Storm Colin threatens a wet holiday weekend for Carolinas

RALEIGH, N.C. — Tropical Storm Colin formed along the South Carolina coast on Saturday, bringing the threat of rain and high winds for a day or two during the holiday weekend before improving for Monday’s July Fourth celebrations.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami warned of the possibility of localized flash flooding along the Carolinas coast through Sunday morning. At 8 a.m. EDT, the storm’s center was about 25 miles west-southwest of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. It was moving northeast at 8 mph.

The hurricane center said a tropical storm warning was in effect for a stretch of South Santee River in South Carolina, to Duck, North Carolina, including Pamlico Sound. The storm is not expected to strengthen as it moves into the Atlantic on Monday.

“Colin will continue to produce locally heavy rainfall across portions of coastal South and North Carolina through Sunday morning,” the center said. Isolated amounts could reach up to 4 inches (10 centimeters).

“This rainfall may result in localized areas of flash flooding,” the center said.

Separately, Tropical Storm Bonnie swept into Nicaragua bringing the threat of flooding from heavy rain, while heading for a predicted fast crossing on the way to the Pacific and a possible strengthening into a hurricane.

Bonnie came ashore late Friday on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast about 75 miles south of Bluefields, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Forecasters warned of the danger of significant flooding, with rains of up to 8 inches and even more in isolated places.

Bonne was centered about 65 miles southeast of the Nicaraguan capital of Managua with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. Bonnie was moving west at 14 mph and was expected to emerge over the Pacific on Saturday and become a hurricane off Mexico’s southern coast.

Authorities in Bluefields said they set up 50 temporary shelters before the storm arrived, and many of its 57,000 residents nailed boards over their windows.