How will Tropical Storm Chantal affect Hilton Head? What to expect
Note: This story was updated at 11:40 a.m. Saturday to reflect the most recent forecast, which includes updated time of landfall.
An area of low pressure that meteorologists have been tracking over the holiday weekend developed into Tropical Storm Chantal Saturday morning.
The storm formed off the coast of northeast Florida and Georgia. Chantal will likely make landfall north of Charleston Sunday morning, bringing rain, gusty winds and rip currents to the area. As tropical cyclones go, this storm will be relatively minor and short-lived, according to Frank Strait, severe weather liaison with the S.C. State Climate Office.
Given that the storm will move north after making landfall, Hilton Head won’t see the biggest impacts. The forecast for Beaufort County includes gusty winds along the beaches, likely between 25 and 30 mph, and less than an inch of rain, according to NWS meteorologist Anna Dennis.
Charleston County is under a tropical storm watch, which means the winds between 39 and 73 mph are possible Saturday night into Sunday morning. Current forecasts show the storm is expected to make landfall on Kiawah Island early Sunday morning. The Myrtle Beach area is under a tropical storm warning.
This story was originally published July 5, 2025 at 10:33 AM.
