Beryl to drench Southeast coast over next days

MIAMI?? Tropical storm warnings were issued from northeast Florida to South Carolina as a cluster of storms gathered strength Saturday and was expected to become Tropical Storm Beryl over the Memorial Day weekend.

The system's maximum sustained winds were at 45 mph. But they are expected to increase as the system, now Subtropical Storm Beryl, moves over the Atlantic.

Gusts up to 55 mph and 2 to 4 inches of rain were predicted. Tropical-storm force winds extend 115 miles out from the system's center.

"A three-day thunderstorm is what it's probably going to be," said Jay Wiggins, emergency management director for Glynn County, which is about 60 miles south of Savannah, Ga., and includes Brunswick and St. Simons Island. "Unfortunately, it's going to ruin a lot of Memorial Day plans."

Wiggins said he expects some flooded roadways and scattered power outages, perhaps some minor flooding in waterfront homes, but otherwise little damage. However, he urged beachgoers to beware of dangerous rip currents.

On Tybee Island, home to Georgia's largest public beach east of Savannah, employees at Amy Gaster's home and condo rental business were making sure arriving guests were aware of the approaching storm. Gaster said her 180 rentals were sold out and nobody was canceling plans or asking to check out early.

"Mostly I think people are just curious," said Gaster, adding that guests were being urged to bring in patio furniture if the winds kick up and prepare to hunker down for movies and home cooking Monday. "We're just saying take advantage of today as your beach day and get it while you can."

On Cumberland Island, a federally protected wilderness area beloved by hikers and campers, superintendent Fred Boyles said he planned to wait until Sunday to decide if campers need to evacuate before the storm arrives. Boyles said he had about 100 campers planning to stay overnight Sunday, and the only way to leave Cumberland Island is by ferry.

While Georgia hasn't taken a direct hit from a major hurricane in 114 years, the last time a tropical storm made landfall here was in August 1988. Tropical Storm Chris hit near Savannah but did little damage as it pushed northward into South Carolina.

In South Carolina, Beaufort County Emergency Management deputy director David Zeoli said that at midday Saturday word went out to first-responders along the coast near the Georgia line to pay attention to the storm's progress. Officials haven't been ordered to work on an otherwise lovely day for the beach, but have been told to stay near a phone, Zeoli said.

The system was about 230 miles from Charleston, S.C., and was swirling toward the Southeast coast, the National Hurricane Center said in a public advisory notice.

"A little strengthening is possible during the next day or so," it added.

The storm is forecast to eventually turn back toward the Atlantic and away from the Gulf of Mexico, where U.S. oil and gas operations are clustered.?

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Subtropical storms usually have a broader wind field than tropical storms and their shower and thunderstorm activity is more removed from the storm's center.

A tropical storm warning was issued for an area stretching from northeast Florida to South Carolina. The warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within the area over the next 36 hours.

Story: US: 4-8 Atlantic hurricanes expected this season

Beryl is the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which officially runs from June 1 to November 30, although it is not uncommon for storms to form outside that time frame.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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