AccuWeather has issued a warning for a tropical rainstorm expected to bring heavy rainfall and hazardous beach conditions to Florida’s Atlantic coast.
AccuWeather issued an advisory on Thursday night regarding a tropical rainstorm poised to impact Florida’s Atlantic coast, prompting concerns over potential flooding and hazardous beach conditions.
The tropical system is forming off the southeast coast of the United States and is expected to bring significant rainfall to parts of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Meteorologists predict that areas from Port St. Lucie, Florida, to Charleston, South Carolina, will experience downpours from Thursday night through Saturday morning. Rainfall accumulations are expected to range from 1 to 2 inches across northern Florida, southern Georgia, and the South Carolina coast, with localized pockets receiving between 2 and 4 inches. In some areas, particularly where the storm’s center makes landfall, rainfall could reach up to 7 inches, according to AccuWeather.
The tropical rainstorm, currently situated north of the Bahamas, is moving westward toward the Georgia and northeast Florida coast. Forecasters indicate a 12- to 18-hour window during which the storm could strengthen into a tropical depression or tropical storm as it crosses the Gulf Stream before making landfall on Friday morning.
“A tropical rainstorm to the north of the Bahamas continues to get a little better organized as it moves westward toward the Georgia and northeast Florida coast,” said John Feerick, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. “As it nears the coast, it will be in a slightly better environment for strengthening as it moves over the Gulf Stream. There’s about a 12-18 hour window where it could strengthen enough to become a tropical depression or tropical storm before moving into Georgia and northern Florida Friday morning.”
While the heaviest rainfall is expected north of Miami, areas affected by last week’s storm—which brought nearly 20 inches of rain to South Florida—are still at risk. Alex Sosnowski, another senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, noted that despite the localized flood risk, the incoming rainstorm could provide beneficial precipitation to some regions.
The storm requires sustained winds of 39 mph to be classified as a tropical storm. If this threshold is met, the system will be named Beryl.
The AccuWeather 2024 U.S. Hurricane Forecast anticipates 20 to 25 named storms in the Atlantic Basin, with four to six projected to directly impact the United States. South Florida, along with the Florida Panhandle, the Carolinas, and the Texas coastline, are facing a higher-than-average risk of direct impacts this year due to above-average sea-surface temperatures and other favorable conditions for tropical development.