Downpours from Bonnie to soak eastern US into Memorial Day

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

May 29,2016; 10:39PM,EDT

 

 

Despite no longer being a tropical storm, Bonnie will continue to spread downpours across the Eastern Seaboard of the United States into Memorial Day.
Bonnie became the second named tropical system of the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season on Saturday afternoon with Alex being the first official tropical storm and hurricane of the season.
Cooler waters along the Southeast coast caused Bonnie to weaken prior to making landfall just east of Charleston, South Carolina, on the Isle of Palms, around 8:30 a.m. EDT Sunday.

Despite being downgraded to a tropical depression, Bonnie will continue to plague residents and Memorial Day plans with downpours and rough surf.
Across the eastern Carolinas, drenching showers and thunderstorms will be produced daily as Bonnie crawls eastward across the region into midweek. An isolated tornado or two can also be spawned.
"Rainfall totals from [Bonnie] will average 2-4 inches over the coast and areas just inland from the coast over southeastern Georgia, eastern South Carolina and eastern North Carolina," AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said.
Areas of flash flooding will result, especially where localized higher rainfall totals are unleashed.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation closed a section of I-95 southbound in Jasper County, South Carolina, Sunday due to flooding from Bonnie. A detour has been put in place for motorists to avoid the flooding.
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Those with outdoor plans are reminded to seek shelter as soon as thunder is heard. The danger of being struck by lightning is then present.
Surf will remain rough for boaters and swimmers at the Southeast beaches into Memorial Day. The risk of dangerous rip currents will be highest from the northern South Carolina beaches, including Myrtle Beach, to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Waves will subside by Memorial Day along Georgia's and Florida's east coast, but a moderate threat of rip currents will remain.
Hazards associated from Bonnie will not be confined to the Southeast coast.
While the center of Bonnie will make little movement into Memorial Day, its moisture will trigger downpours over a much larger portion of the Carolinas and even into the Northeast.
Downpours capable of unleashing localized 1-2 inches of rain will reach Washington, D.C., New York City and Boston.
Isolated flash flooding can result, while travelers may face delays and outdoor holiday plans could be ruined or forced inside.

In the steamy air well north of Bonnie, locally heavy thunderstorms will also bring Sunday to an end in New York State and northern New England.
The downpours will reduce visibility for motorists and heighten the risk of vehicles hydroplaning when traveling at highway speeds.
Waves may also increase along the mid-Atlantic beaches for Memorial Day.
The rest of the tropical Atlantic remains relatively quiet.
"We see no other signs of tropical development in the Atlantic over the next several days," Kottlowski said.
AccuWeather is projecting an above-average number of tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic basin this season.