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Tropical Storm Julia soaks northern Florida, Georgia; threatens the Carolinas

By Allen Cone and Shawn Price
A visible satellite image of Tropical Storm Julia mid-day Wednesday. Image via NHC
1 of 4 | A visible satellite image of Tropical Storm Julia mid-day Wednesday. Image via NHC

MIAMI, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Tropical Storm Julia dumped rain on northeast Florida and the Georgia on Wednesday, with flooding expected in the Carolina as a tropical depression formed in the far eastern Atlantic.

Julia is the first tropical storm to form over land in Florida since records were kept, the National Weather Service told CBS Miami.

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The greatest risk for flash floods will be areas already soaked by Hurricane Hermine earlier in the month, including Charleston and Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, and Wilmington in North Carolina.

Julia is not a strong storm but, east to southeast winds combined with the full moon could lead to some coastal flooding during the high tide later this week.

Julia was centered 20 miles west of Brunswick, Ga., and moving north-northeast near 6 mph with maximum sustained winds near 40 mph, according to a late-morning advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

Julia is moving slowly over the northern Georgia or southern South Carolina coastlines through Thursday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles.

Rain accumulations of 3 to 6 inches along the coastline of South Carolina from Georgetown southward were forecast, and 2 to 4 inches near Savannah, Ga. Up to 10 inches were possible in isolated areas.

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This automatically updated infrared satellite animation shows Tropical Storm Julia over the Southeast U.S.

Far northeast Florida and southern North Carolina are forecast to get 1 to 2 inches of rain.

The National Hurricane Center said an isolated tornado was possible Wednesday across coastal Georgia and southern South Carolina.

Julia's path will determine what Julia does. The storm would weaken over land, but if the storm remains slightly offshore, it could gain strength and become a hurricane.

"Due to weak steering winds, the path of Julia is likely to be erratic and slow into the weekend," said AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski.

Tropical Depression 12 was about 95 miles northwest of Cape Verde, off the coast of West Africa, moving to the west-northwest at 14 mph with maximum with sustained winds of 35 mph. The depression was forecast to make a gradual turn toward the west and could become a tropical storm by Wednesday night, the center said. Then, some weakening could occur.

Tropical Storm Ian was 695 miles east of Bermuda moving north at 20 mph with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph with no threat of reaching land.

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