(CNN) — The first Atlantic tropical storm of the year weakened as it made landfall in South Carolina early Sunday.
Tropical Storm Ana came ashore just north of Myrtle Beach at 6 a.m. ET with 45-mph maximum sustained winds, the National Hurricane Center said.
Just hours before, Ana’s maximum sustained winds clocked in at 50 mph, already dropping from Saturday afternoon’s wind speed of 60 mph. The storm is expected to further weaken as it moves over land.
But it is bringing in rain and storm surges.
Ana is forecast to drop 2 to 4 inches of rain — in isolated spots up to 6 inches — over the eastern Carolinas, the National Weather Service said.
During high tide, storm surges were forecast to send 1 to 2 feet of water onto coastal land. Combined with rain, that could cause flooding in low-lying spots, the weather service said.
Beachgoers should take Ana seriously — high rip currents could sweep swimmers out to sea, and waves are expected to be rough.
Tropical-storm-strength winds — at least 39 mph — extend 125 miles from the center of the storm. The weather service’s watch and warning extend from South Santee River, South Carolina, to Cape Lookout, North Carolina.
The winds could break tree limbs, cause scattered power outages and do minor damage to porches, awnings, carports and sheds, said the NWS in Wilmington, North Carolina.
“Interests elsewhere in eastern North Carolina and Virginia should monitor the progress of Ana,” the weather service said.
Ana is forecast to curve north and head up the east coast as it weakens further.
