HURRICANE SEASON 2008

Tropical Storm Cristobal strengthens off NC coast

By BRUCE SMITH,
Associated Press Writer
July 20, 2008

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Tropical Storm Cristobal, the first system to menace the Southeast seaboard this hurricane season, strengthened slightly off the North Carolina coast Sunday, and was expected to dump several inches of rain in some areas of the drought-stricken state.

At 8 a.m. EDT, the center of the storm was about 40 miles south-southwest of Cape Lookout, N.C., and about 105 miles southwest of Cape Hatteras, N.C. The National Hurricane Center said Cristobal was moving northeast at about 6 mph. Maximum sustained winds increased about 5 mph Sunday to 50 mph, with some higher gusts.

The storm was expected to skirt the Outer Banks on Sunday, fueling tides 2 to 3 feet above normal. The National Weather Service said a few areas could see flooding from heavy rain.

"Unless this thing does something really unusual, we're only expecting minor problems — some gusty winds and maybe a few heavy rain bands," said John Elardo, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

Tropical storm warnings remained in effect from north of Little River Inlet in South Carolina to the North Carolina-Virginia state line.

Minor flooding was reported in Wilmington, N.C., on Saturday, and the area picked up 3.43 inches of rain, a record for the day.

The storm's heaviest winds and rains have stayed well offshore, though the winds have created strong rip currents along the beaches, and forecasters advised people not to swim in the ocean Sunday even if the weather cleared.

The National Hurricane Center said by early Monday that Cristobal was expected to move faster and farther away from the coast.

The rain could provide some benefits. Eastern North Carolina is under a moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Officials have blamed the drought for a huge wildfire that has charred more than 62 square miles in eastern North Carolina since it began June 1 with a lightning strike.

At the By The Sea Motel in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., out-of-state visitors photographed outer storm bands Saturday as Cristobal churned off the coast, said hotel manager Charlie Peterson. Intermittent light rain fell in the afternoon but that wasn't enough to chase them away.

"They've got their cameras set and they think there is going to be lightning over the water," he said.

Elsewhere, Hurricane Fausto was expected to weaken far off Mexico's Pacific coast, while Hurricane Bertha, the longest-lived July tropical storm in history, was downgraded to a tropical storm.

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Associated Press Writers Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, S.C., and Bill Cormier in Atlanta contributed to this report.