The storm, somewhat of a surprise, formed hours after Tropical Storm Bonnie made landfall in Nicaragua. Colin was expected to move slowly through the Carolinas over the weekend. As of 5 a.m. Eastern Saturday, it had maximum sustained winds near 40 mph and was just inland over South Carolina. Forecasters warned that tropical storm conditions are expected in South Carolina Saturday morning and North Carolina Saturday morning through Sunday. Heavy rainfall was expected, with some areas reaching four inches. A tropical storm warning was in effect from South Santee River, SC, to Duck, NC It’s been a quiet few weeks for the Atlantic during the hurricane season, following Tropical Storm Alex, which formed on June 5 and moved into South Florida shortly after. Alex was the first named storm of what is expected to be an “above normal” hurricane season, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. If this prediction comes true, 2022 will be the seventh straight year with an above-normal season. This year, forecasters predict the season — which runs through Nov. 30 — will produce 14 to 21 named storms. Six to 10 of them are expected to become hurricanes, and up to six of them are forecast to strengthen into major hurricanes, classified as Category 3 storms with winds of at least 111 mph Last year, there were 21 named storms, after a record 30 in 2020. In the past two years, forecasters have exhausted the list of names used to identify storms during the Atlantic hurricane season, an event that has only happened once before time, in 2005. The links between hurricanes and climate change are becoming clearer every year. The data shows that hurricanes have become stronger globally over the past four decades. A warming planet can expect stronger hurricanes over time and a greater frequency of the most powerful storms—though the overall number of storms could decrease because factors such as stronger wind shear could prevent weaker ones from forming storms. Hurricanes also become wetter because of more water vapor in the warmer atmosphere. Scientists have suggested storms like Hurricane Harvey in 2017 produced far more rain than they would have without human influence on the climate. Also, rising sea levels contribute to higher storm surge—the most destructive element of tropical cyclones.
