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Tropical Storm Colin (2022)
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Tropical Storm Colin was a weak and short-lived tropical storm that formed off the Georgia-South Carolina coast. The third named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, Colin originated from the northern end of a meandering surface trough. A tropical depression formed on the afternoon of July 1, and the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Colin while making landfall near Hunting Island, South Carolina, at 23:30 UTC that day. It moved slowly northeast, causing isolated thunderstorms and producing sustained winds of ; strong wind shear caused most of its heavy rain to remain offshore. By the afternoon of July 2, the storm weakened to a tropical depression, and later that day, its low-level circulation dissipated over northeastern South Carolina. One man died in North Carolina due to rip currents. There were no reports of damage being caused by Colin. Meteorological history On July 1, the National Hurricane Center started monitoring a low-pressure area off the coast near Savannah, Georgia. Unexpectedly, the system began to quickly organize. At 18:00 UTC that day, a tropical depression formed, and strengthened into Tropical Storm Colin a few hours later as it made landfall near Hunting Island, South Carolina, while simultaneously reaching peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of . Colin's wind speeds did not strengthen as it moved northeastward inland near the coast, though it did remain at its peak intensity for several hours. By 18:00 UTC on July 2, Colin's winds had decreased to 35 mph (55 km/h) and the storm was downgraded to a tropical depression. It continued to weaken rapidly, and its low-level circulation dissipated over northeastern South Carolina by the end of that day. Fourth of July weekend events in Charleston, South Carolina, and Southport, North Carolina, were cancelled due to the storm's rain and wind. However, most of its heavy clouds remained offshore due to wind shear. During its developmental stages, Colin produced locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds in coastal regions of South Carolina. Charleston County in particular saw of rain, with a maximum of near Wadmalaw Island. Coastal locales in the county saw frequent gusts to tropical storm-force, averaging 45-50 mph (75-85 km/h). Loosened by saturated soils, some trees were knocked over by the gusty winds. A gust of was measured at the entrance to Winyah Bay. One person drowned on July 3, off the coast of Oak Island, North Carolina, due to rip currents.
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