Shutterstock
The second named storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season has formed early off of the coast of South Carolina on Wednesday, bringing flood and Tropical Storm warnings by the NWS to the Carolinas and Virginia.
Tropical storm Bertha formed early on Wednesday morning off of the coast of South Carolina.
As of 8:15 AM EDT, tropical storm Bertha had sustained winds of 45 miles per hour and was moving northwest at 9 mph.
In a tweet, the National Hurricane Center said the storm “moves inland later today.”
Bertha is expected to bring very heavy rainfall and very gusty winds to South Carolina and parts of North Carolina on Wednesday, WPTV reported.
The Atlantic hurricane season officially begins on June 1, but a second named storm has formed in the month of May.
News Channel 8 reported that a Tropical Storm Warning is now in effect for the coast of South Carolina.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued flash flood watches for portions of central North Carolina and Western Virginia, as well as the parts of central and eastern South Carolina.
This has been the sixth consecutive year in a row that the Atlantic hurricane season began early. On May 16, Tropical Storm Arthur formed off the eastern coast of Florida and moved off the coast of North Carolina before veering off eastward into the Atlantic.
But in another less frequent event, two storms have now formed early. There are only four other years on record which had two named storms form this soon in the season: 1887, 1908, 1951, and 2012, according to Colorado State University meteorologist Philip Klotzbach.
Today’s tropical storm and flash flood warnings mean it’s important to get prepared now in case of power outages, flooding or evacuations.
Prepare an emergency kit that includes, at a minimum, a cell phone, weather radio, flashlight, backup batteries, and at least a 3-day supply of food and water for each member of your family, as well as pets. Having a first aid kit would also be well advised.
Driving could be treacherous due to flooded roads, downed trees, and power lines, or even other drivers. In fact, these conditions bring a high risk of auto accidents and you may want to do a search for “your area auto accident attorney” to have a name and phone number ready in advance.
It’s wise to be prepared ahead of time should an accident occur.
