Charleston - Hurricane Fred formed early Monday in the eastern Atlantic as it approached the Cape Verde Islands, while the remnants of Tropical Storm Erika brought flooding to parts of South Carolina.
The center of Fred is expected to pass near or over the northwestern Cape Verde Islands later on Monday with maximum sustained winds near 130 kph with stronger gusts, before gradually weakening.
Forecasters say they do not expect Fred to threaten the Caribbean or the United States.
Tropical Storm Erika dissipated over Cuba on Saturday after killing at least 20 people in the small eastern Caribbean island of Dominica, and one person in Haiti.
Its remnants brought thunderstorms to Florida over the weekend before moving into South Carolina on Monday.
By 9:30 a.m. EDT, almost 16.5 cm of rain had fallen at Charleston International Airport, according to the National Weather Service.
In Charleston's outlying suburbs, some residents reported on social media that they could not get out of their driveways, and local TV stations showed pictures of cars submerged past their windows and over the hoods.
Charleston police closed streets in peninsular Charleston, which is at or slightly above sea level.
The torrential rain coincided with high “king tides” caused by a full moon and expected to last until Wednesday, city officials said.
Reuters