By 11 a.m. EDT Tuesday, the storm was moving into the Atlantic off the North Carolina coast, with maximum sustained winds up to 60 miles per hour, the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported.
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As of 5 a.m. EDT, Colin was centered about 90 miles (145 kilometers) south-southwest of Charleston, South Carolina, and moving northeast near 31 mph (50 kph).
Meanwhile, up to 2 inches of rain was expected to hit the barrier islands of North Carolina.
Tropical storm warnings were discontinued on Tuesday as the remnants of Colin sped away from the mid-Atlantic coast and out to sea.
No touchdowns were reported, but the warning served as a sign of expected weather to come, WINK Meteorologist Matt Devitt said.
A tropical storm warning was also in effect for the entire Georgia coast and the lower SC coast. “Every Florida family and visitor needs to prepare now”, Scott said on Twitter.
“If last night was a “no storm” – and the water was nearly up to the hump in my yard – I’m anxious”, Milligan said, motioning to about knee level. During the early morning hours of June 7, Colin moved in a northeasterly direction across northern Florida and into the Atlantic Ocean. Some parts of Florida picked up as much as 10 inches of rain, and flood advisories remained in effect in the Tampa area Tuesday morning.
Colin, which brought heavy rains and wind gusts to the Southeast after it made landfall in Florida early Tuesday, is no longer a tropical storm and is moving out into the Atlantic. However, the hurricane center expected Colin to lose its tropical characteristics tonight and become a post-tropical storm. The area is still about 9 inches above average for this time of year, according to South Florida Water Management District records.
The Florida National Guard has been activated, providing 6,000 guards to help with rescue and recovery efforts. However, it’s important to note that the strongest winds and heaviest rains are well removed from the center.
Amid worsening winds, officials also closed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge spanning Tampa Bay.
Colin is part of a brisk start to the Atlantic hurricane season that runs through November 30.
Along the Georgia coast, the marshes did their job and acted as “a big sponge system” as Colin passed over, said Tim Cutting, who runs fishing charters from his base on St. Simons Island.
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Colin is actually the earliest developed C-named storm we’ve ever had.
