Ridgeland roads closed as Bonnie dissipates

Tropical Depression Bonnie and its heavy rains dissipated over South Carolina on Monday, as a damp Memorial Day holiday weekend turned sunny in Beaufort County.

The depression fell apart early in the day about 45 miles north of Charleston, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm was expected to continue as an area of low pressure, moving northeast into North Carolina and sporadically spreading heavy rain, especially during the daylight hours, forecasters said.

Bonnie dropped about 8 inches of rain in southern South Carolina on Sunday, closing the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 at U.S. 17 in Ridgeland for about 16 hours. The highway finally reopened around 1 a.m. Monday, and troopers reported the 10-mile backups caused by the detour had been cleared.

Southbound Exit 22 and West Frontage Road remained closed on Monday evening.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation reported that several roads in the Ridgeland area also remained closed on Monday evening because of floodwaters. Both lanes along portions of the following roads were closed: Calf Pen Bay Road, Carters Mill Road, North Jacob Smart Boulevard, Old House Road, Sisters Ferry Road and Tarboro Road. Officials warned motorists to stay off the roads in these areas and not drive around barricades where roads are closed.

The only possible death attributed to the storm is a missing swimmer off of Carolina Beach, N.C., just south of Wilmington.

Rescuers continued searching Monday for 21-year-old James Cameron of Graham, N.C. He disappeared while swimming with two friends Saturday evening in the rough surf. The friends made it back to shore safely, authorities said.

Lifeguards in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina were warning people of dangerous rip currents, which can suddenly pull swimmers out to deep waters. Officials in Myrtle Beach put up the no swimming flags again Monday because conditions were just too rough.

Bonnie formed Saturday, becoming the second tropical storm in the Atlantic to form before the official start of the hurricane season on Wednesday. Hurricane Alex struck the Azores in the far eastern Atlantic in January.

This story was originally published May 30, 2016 at 5:41 PM with the headline "Ridgeland roads closed as Bonnie dissipates."