This Article is From May 11, 2015

US Storm Ana Weakens to Tropical Depression

US Storm Ana Weakens to Tropical Depression

This NOAA satellite image taken by GOES East at 1245Z on May 8, 2015, shows Subtropical Storm Ana. (AFP)

Miami: Southeastern US storm Ana weakened to a tropical depression Sunday after making landfall and slowing down over the coast, though forecasters warned of storm surges, rip currents and heavy rain.

Ana, which formed before the official June 1 start of the hurricane season, hit around the border of North and South Carolina early Sunday after barreling toward the coast overnight as a tropical storm.

The low-pressure system became "nearly stationary" after making landfall, but is expected to increase speed toward the northeast, the National Hurricane Center said.

The Miami-based NHC had issued a tropical storm warning over a 277-mile (445-kilometer) stretch of South and North Carolina's Atlantic coastline.

As the system dumped rain on the Carolinas of one to two feet (30-61 centimeters) of water above ground at high tide, two to four inches (5-10 centimeters) of rain and "life-threatening surf and rip currents."

Sustained winds have decreased to around 35 miles per hour after a peak of around 50 miles per hour on Saturday.

Despite Ana's early arrival, this year's hurricane season is shaping up to be one of the least active since the mid-20th century, as the El Nino phenomenon is generating weather conditions not conducive to hurricane formation.
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