Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall around 4 a.m. Sunday near Litchfield Beach, South Carolina, with maximum sustained winds of approximately 96 km/h.

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), as of 8 a.m. the center of the storm was located about 24 km northwest of Conway, with winds reduced to 64 km/h, moving toward the north-northwest at 13 km/h.

Tropical storm watches are in effect from South Santee River, South Carolina, to Surf City, North Carolina, including Myrtle Beach. Winds of 20 to 30 mph (32 to 48 km/h) are forecast for these areas, with gusts that could reach 45 mph (72 km/h), along with scattered showers and thunderstorms.

Flood watches also remain in effect from Myrtle Beach to western Wilmington, and could extend into inland North Carolina, including Fayetteville and Raleigh, through Monday.

Chantal is expected to drop 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) of rain, with isolated areas possible up to 6 inches (15 cm), creating a risk of flash flooding. In addition, bands of the storm could produce isolated tornadoes and minor storm surges of up to 3 feet (1 meter) in coastal areas.

The NHC forecasts Chantal to continue weakening, becoming a tropical depression later Sunday and dissipating on Monday, although showers and thunderstorms will continue to affect the region.