Carolinas face wet weekend as Colin rolls in

MIAMI — Tropical Storm Colin formed along the South Carolina coast on Saturday, bringing the threat of rain and high winds for a day or two during the holiday weekend before improving for Monday’s July Fourth celebrations.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami warned of the possibility of localized flash flooding along the Carolinas coast through Sunday morning. At 8 p.m. EDT Saturday, the storm’s center was about 35 miles westsouthwest of Wilmington, North Carolina with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. It was moving northeast at 7 mph.

The hurricane center said a tropical storm warning was in effect for a stretch from north of Little River, S.C., to Duck, N. C., including Pamlico Sound. The storm is not expected to strengthen as it moves into the Atlantic on Monday.

“Colin will continue to produce locally heavy rainfall across portions of coastal South and North Carolina through Sunday morning,” the center said. Isolated amounts could reach up to 4 inches.

“This rainfall may result in localized areas of flash flooding,” the center said.

Some Fourth of July celebrations planned Saturday in Charleston, S.C., were canceled after significant water had pooled on the field at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park and more rain was expected.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed,” said Scott Watson, the city’s director of cultural affairs. “This promised to be a great family event, and we hate to have to cancel.

Separately, the center of Tropical Storm Bonnie rolled into the Pacific on Saturday after a rapid march across Central America, where it caused flooding, downed trees and forced thousands of people to evacuate in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. There were no immediate reports of deaths.

By Saturday evening, Bonnie was centered about 130 miles west-southwest of Managua, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. It was moving to the west at 16 mph.

It’s one of the rare storms to make an Atlantic to Pacific crossing without losing tropical storm force, thus maintaining its name. Forecasters said Bonnie is likely to become a hurricane this week off the southern coast of Mexico, but was unlikely to make a direct hit on land.

Officials in Costa Rica expressed concern that the storm would unleash landslides and flooding.