Article first published: Sunday, July 06, 2025, 4 a.m. ET

System type: Tropical storm

System name: Chantal

According to the National Hurricane Center’s 4 am Sunday advisory, Chantal is now affecting South Carolina. Tropical Storm Chantal is 70 miles northeast of Charleston South Carolina and 85 miles west-southwest of Wilmington North Carolina. Packing maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, it is tracking north-northwest at 8 mph.

“… the center of Chantal is expected to move further inland into South Carolina and then North Carolina through the day today”, according to meteorologists.

Yesterday (Saturday)

The system strengthened enough to get a name: Tropical Storm Chantal. It found new strength and had evolved from a tropical depression into a tropical storm with sustained winds of 40 mph. Yesterday’s 7 a.m. report was the first to confirm the system’s new name. Northward in North Carolina placed under a tropical storm warning by forecasters.

Changes with this advisory

The Tropical Storm Watch from Edisto Beach to South Santee River, South Carolina has been discontinued.

Watches and warnings currently in effect

• Tropical Storm Warning for South Santee River, SC to Surf City, NC

Meaning of the different watches and warnings

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case for the next 6-12 hours.

Interests elsewhere along the southeast coast of the United States should monitor the progress of Chantal.

Hazards affecting land

Wind. Tropical storm conditions are occurring in the warning area and should persist through this morning.

Rainfall. Tropical Storm Chantal is expected to produce heavy rainfall across portions of northeastern South Carolina today and across portions of North Carolina through Monday. Storm total rainfall of 2 to 4 inches, with local amounts up to 6 inches, is expected. This would result in an elevated risk for flash flooding.

For a complete depiction of forecast rainfall and flash flooding associated with Tropical Storm Chantal, please see the National Weather Service Storm Total Rainfall Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at3.shtml?rainqpf

Storm surge. The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide…

South Santee, SC to Surf City, NC…1-2 ft

For a complete depiction of areas at risk of storm surge inundation, please see the National Weather Service Peak Storm Surge Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at5.shtml?peakSurge

Tornadoes. Isolated tornadoes will be possible today across portions of eastern North Carolina and extreme northeast South Carolina.

Surf. Chantal is expected to bring life-threatening surf and rip currents to portions of the coast from northeastern Florida to the Mid-Atlantic states during the next day or so.

A depiction of rip current risk for the United States can be found at: hurricanes.gov/refresh/graphics_at3+shtml/? RipCurrents

Source: National Hurricane Center