CHARLESTON, South Carolina — As hurricane season 2025 intensifies, the southeastern United States braces for impact. A sprawling and slow-moving weather system off the Atlantic coast has intensified into Tropical Depression Three, with the National Hurricane Center forecasting it will become Tropical Storm Chantal. As a result, a tropical storm warning now stretches across key areas of South Carolina and North Carolina, putting millions under direct threat.
On Friday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a tropical storm warning from South Santee River, South Carolina, to Cape Fear, North Carolina. A tropical storm watch remains in effect from Edisto Beach to South Santee River. This marks a critical alert for coastal towns vulnerable to dangerous surf, heavy rain, and flash flooding. Emergency agencies have ramped up readiness efforts, anticipating that Chantal could become the first named storm to make landfall in the southeastern US this year.
Forecasters reported the system’s center roughly 150 miles southeast of Charleston, crawling north at just 2 miles per hour, with sustained winds at 40 mph. A landfall near Myrtle Beach by early Sunday is increasingly likely.
According to CNN, emergency responders are now mobilizing in anticipation of the worsening weather. Meteorologists at The Weather Channel noted the storm’s evolution from Invest 92L and warned that tropical storm Chantal could trigger dangerous rip currents and inland flooding.
Forecast models from the National Hurricane Center show projected rainfall between 2 and 4 inches for most of the Carolinas, with some areas expected to receive up to 6 inches. Surge forecasts estimate 1 to 3 feet of coastal inundation during high tides, which could overwhelm parts of the barrier islands and low-elevation cities.
“Finalize your emergency plans now,” said FEMA regional spokesperson Andrea Langston. “While this isn’t a Category 3 storm, its slow forward motion means an extended barrage of rainfall and elevated tides.”
Myrtle Beach weather conditions began deteriorating Friday afternoon. Officials issued public warnings against entering ocean waters due to the rising risk of powerful rip currents. Shelters were readied for activation, and South Carolina’s National Guard units were placed on high alert.
Meteorological experts have warned that slow-tracking storms like Chantal carry heightened risks. According to the National Hurricane Center, storms with sluggish forward speed tend to produce heavier rainfall and prolonged coastal impacts, particularly in vulnerable low-lying regions along the southeastern US coastline.
Chantal is the third named system of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which NOAA has projected to be above average, with at least 17 named storms. This reflects a growing concern among climatologists that warmer ocean temperatures and persistent atmospheric patterns are intensifying and prolonging tropical systems.
More frequent and slower-moving storms are increasingly common, and experts warn that infrastructure along the US southeastern coast remains woefully underprepared. Cities like Charleston, Savannah, and Jacksonville are confronting stormwater systems that may fail under prolonged deluges.
The hurricane tracker from the National Hurricane Center indicates Chantal is moving steadily toward populated regions. South Carolina Governor James Matson warned citizens that “the water will be the real threat. We urge everyone to take these warnings seriously.”
Ahead of potential landfall, the US Coast Guard has repositioned aircraft and response teams, and the South Carolina Emergency Management Division activated its emergency operations center. Farther south, parts of Georgia and northern Florida are also under coastal flood warnings, as Chantal’s outer bands stretch outward.
Footage of rough surf and dark skies circulated widely on social media from Charleston to the Outer Banks. Voluntary evacuations began Friday evening in several beachfront neighborhoods. The American Red Cross confirmed the opening of inland shelters in anticipation of displacement.
The next official update from the hurricane center is expected at 8 a.m. ET Saturday. Forecasting models are being closely monitored to assess the possibility of Chantal stalling over the Carolinas, a development that could drastically escalate the flood threat and cause prolonged power outages.
As emergency kits are packed and fuel lines grow longer, the southeastern US is bracing not only for Tropical Storm Chantal but for a storm season projected to be unforgiving.
