Bonnie, the second named pre-season storm of 2016, made landfall on Sunday just east of Charleston, South Carolina on the Isle of Palms.
According to the NWS, Bonnie was categorized as a tropical storm on Saturday with winds as high as 45mph. But by the time it came ashore, its winds had fallen below 39mph – the threshold for a tropical storm – and was downgraded to a tropical depression. Despite this reduced status, the storm still brought heavy rain, flash flooding, and dangerous rip currents to the area.
Rainfall totals, according to the Charleston NWS office, reached as high as ten inches in some spots. Flash flooding in Jasper County even caused sections of Interstate 95 – one of America’s busiest highways – to close.
Remnants of Bonnie are expected to linger over the southeastern US for the next several days, bringing even more rain to the region.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season official begins on June 1st.
Bonnie makes landfall as a tropical depression near Charleston, SC. Credit: NASA