Roofer in Myrtle Beach, SC

Tropical Storm Chantal continues to weaken after the storm made landfall along the South Carolina coast early Sunday morning. FOX Weather Storm Specialist Mike Seidel was in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with the latest on the storm's impacts on July 6, 2025.

CHARLESTON, S.C. – What was once Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall along the South Carolina coast as officials warned of rough surf and flash flooding as the system continued to slowly make its way inland.

(FOX Weather)

Lifeguard organizations across the Grand Strand have reported performing rescues of those who ventured into the rough waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Tropical Storm Chantal had maximum sustained winds of around 50 mph at landfall, which occurred at Litchfield Beach, South Carolina, early Sunday morning.

As of the latest advisory, Chantal was downgraded to a tropical depression and has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Chantal is expected to continue to rapidly weaken now that the storm has made landfall.

Tropical Depression Chantal is expected to produce heavy rain across portions of northeastern South Carolina on Sunday and across portions of North Carolina through Monday.

Rainfall totals of 2-4 inches, with locally higher amounts of up to 6 inches, are expected. This is increasing the risk of flooding across the region.

In addition, a combination of storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the coast.

Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall along the South Carolina coast early Sunday morning, and officials are warning of flash flooding and rough surf at beaches as the system continues to push inland. FOX Weather Meteorologists Michael Estime and Tom Wachs breaks down the forecast on July 6, 2025.

A storm surge of 1-2 feet is possible from South Santee, South Carolina, to Surf City, North Carolina.

Isolated tornadoes are also possible on Sunday across portions of eastern North Carolina and extreme northeastern South Carolina.

Rough surf and potentially life-threatening rip currents are also likely along beaches across the area.

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At 10:55 a.m. on Sunday, the NWS Wilmington NC issued an updated tropical cyclone statement in effect until 7 p.m. The statement is for Myrtle Beach area, Inland Georgetown, Coastal Georgetown and Conway.

The following information is provided by the NWS:

This product covers southeast North Carolina and northeast South Carolina STORM INFORMATION: - About 70 miles west of Wilmington NC or about 50 miles north-northwest of Myrtle Beach SC - 34.4N 79.2W - Storm Intensity 35 mph - Movement North or 360 degrees at 9 mph SITUATION OVERVIEW ------------------ Chantal has weakened to a tropical depression. Heavy rain continues to fall over portions of Robeson County in southeastern NC this morning. The heaviest rain should come to an end by around noon on Sunday. Periodic light showers may continue into the afternoon, but additional flooding concerns are not expected. Strong rip currents and dangerous surf are expected to continue through the afternoon, even as the storm moves farther inland. Hazardous surf conditions are expected to continue through early next week. POTENTIAL IMPACTS ----------------- * FLOODING RAIN: Little to no additional impacts are anticipated at this time across southeast North Carolina and northeast South Carolina. OTHER COASTAL HAZARDS: Life-threatening rip currents and dangerous surf are ongoing at all area beaches today. High surf forecasted for the beaches of northeast SC and Brunswick county through this evening, with breaking wave heights of six feet likely and minor beach erosion possible. Be a good neighbor and check on those living next to you. Be neighborly and lend a helping hand. When clearing out fallen trees, be careful with chain saws and axes. Always wear protective gear and keep others at a safe distance. Use these tools according to operating manuals and safety instruction. Leaning trees and those which have fallen on roof tops can be especially challenging. If you are not in good health or unsure about what you are doing, have someone else with tree cutting experience do the job. Never cut trees without a partner.

This statement is in effect until 7 p.m.

Source: The National Weather Service

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - Tourists in Myrtle Beach spoke with WMBF News on Saturday about their concerns as Tropical Storm Chantal impacts the holiday weekend.

Lifeguards worked Saturday to keep people out of the water as Tropical Storm Chantal inched closer to the Grand Strand.

“I was definitely looking at the clouds, and I was like, ‘it looks a little bit scary,’ like the clouds were really dark blue. So yeah, that was kind of scary,” Victoria Pearson said.

Pearson is visiting from Maryland and said she got caught in one of the outer rain bands on Saturday.

She said this was a first for her because she’s not used to tropical systems.

It’s also a first for Katelyn Gray, who is visiting from Chicago with her family.

“We were walking towards the boardwalk area for lunch and shopping, and so it was kind of a good day for that because we were dipping in and out of stores to avoid the rain as much as we could,” Gray said.

Many others echoed that they are making the best out of a rainy day.

For the Grays, there was another worry.

“Well, we’re flying out in a few hours, so my first thought was to check my American app,” Gray said.

Thankfully, that flight was on time.

Most folks said they just need to adjust some of their plans to do things indoors during the rain, waiting for the storm to pass.

That’s the advice of one Grand Strand local.

“Just enjoy yourself and have a good time. It’ll pass,” Kenneth Moran said.

While most folks aren’t letting a storm put a damper on their plans, Pearson said it is very important to pay attention, especially with an increased risk for rip currents.

“Be on the lookout, be aware of your surroundings, and definitely listen to lifeguards because it can get serious fast,” Pearson said.

Tropical Storm Chantal is not expected to strengthen beyond a tropical storm.

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Tropical Storm Chantal, the third named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, formed off the southeast US coast on Saturday and is set to make landfall near Charleston to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, late in the night or early Sunday morning, according to storm forecast.

With maximum sustained winds of 40–50 mph and heavy rainfall expected to cause flash flooding, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) have issued warnings.

Updated Path of Tropical Storm Chantal

As of 8 AM EDT, Chantal was located 150 miles south-southeast of Charleston, moving north at 2 mph.

The NHC forecasts a north-northwest trajectory on Saturday, shifting northeast by Sunday night, with landfall expected near Charleston to Myrtle Beach by midnight to early Sunday.

Chantal strengthened from Tropical Depression Three on Saturday morning, reaching 40 mph sustained winds, with some models predicting a peak of 50 mph before landfall.

Forecast Path

Saturday, July 5: Outer rain bands impact central Florida, eastern Georgia, and coastal Carolinas, with tropical storm conditions (winds ≥39 mph) starting Saturday evening in Roswell, Georgia, NWS noted.

Sunday, July 6: Center moves ashore in South Carolina, tracking northeast through North Carolina and Virginia.

Impact on South Carolina

Tropical Storm Warnings were issued from South Santee River to Cape Fear in North Carlina, with conditions expected Saturday evening through Sunday morning.

Chantal is expected to bring 2–4 inches of rain across the coastal Carolinas, with 4–6 inches possible near Myrtle Beach to Wilmington, and isolated areas up to 6–8 inches. The NWS Wilmington warns of moderate flooding east of I-95, potentially causing road closures and requiring rescues or evacuations.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster urged residents to monitor forecasts and follow SCEMD updates, tweeting, “A potential tropical storm may show up for the weekend, starting tomorrow. Time to pay attention. #TeamSC."

NHC said: “Chantal’s slow movement increases flash flood risks, with 2–6 inches of rain expected, especially between Charleston and Hatteras. Prepare emergency kits and evacuation plans."

Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall early Sunday morning and will continue to bring rain and wind to the eastern Carolinas as it moves inland.

Video from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, shows Chantal’s strong winds and heavy rain as the storm moved through the region on July 6.

Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall early Sunday morning at 4 a.m. EDT near Litchfield Beach, South Carolina. As Chantal continues to move inland flooding rain and gusty winds will continue.

After AccuWeather proactively declared the tropical system off the Southeast coast a tropical rainstorm on Friday morning to raise public awareness, it strengthened and became Tropical Depression 3 on Friday afternoon. The tropical depression then gained further wind intensity and became Tropical Storm Chantal on Saturday morning.

"This was a classic example of homegrown development, by which a tropical storm formed close to the southeast Atlantic coast and in an area where it is typical for July," said AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva.

Chantal is the third tropical storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, following Andrea and Barry from June.

The most widespread impact will be rain, which will fall from Florida all the way to the Delmarva Peninsula. A broad zone of 1-2 inches of rain is expected. Closest to where the center makes tracks, 2-4 inches of rain will soak central and eastern North Carolina as well as northern coastal South Carolina. A small area of 4-8 inches will fall between Wilmington, North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

"The heavy rainfall can lead to flooding, especially in low-lying and poor drainage areas," cautioned AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys.

With a persistent onshore flow around the circulation of Chantal, there will be coastal hazards as well. Even far away from the track of the storm, rough surf, rip currents and beach erosion are possible.

That same persistent onshore flow will also raise water levels as Chantal gets closer to landfall. Although the storm will not have a lot of wind intensity, there will be enough to raise the concern of storm surge along the coast of North and South Carolina.

The majority of the wind with Chantal will remain offshore. However, coastal areas of South Carolina and southern North Carolina will have wind gusts of 40- to 50-mph wind gusts with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 60 mph.

"The strongest winds are expected near and to the east of where the storm makes landfall and can produce tree damage, localized power outages and some structural damage," warned Roys.

Besides rain, wind and coastal hazards, there will be a risk of isolated tornadoes. This is common with tropical systems, since there is already spin associated with it. They are usually less intense and shorter-lived than they are in other cases, but they can still cause enhanced damage on a localized level.

Even after Chantal moves farther inland and loses wind intensity, there will still be clouds and downpours that can move northward along the mid-Atlantic coast. This could limit heat the eastern extent of heat that will be building from the Appalachians westward.

"Elsewhere in the tropical Atlantic, there is a vast area of dry air, wind shear and Saharan dust that will limit or prevent tropical development in the short term, and that is not unusual for July," explained DaSilva.

Conversely, the eastern Pacific has been very active. AccuWeather meteorologists are watching for more development in the coming days. Luckily, no land impacts are expected.

The next name on the list for the 2025 eastern Pacific season is Gil.

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