'Surprise' Tropical Storm Hits SC, Beats Season's Start

Early surprise Tropical Storm Ana made landfall in South Carolina this morning, a full three weeks before the start of the Atlantic hurricane season. Packing slightly weakened 45mph winds, CNN reports that the storm came in just north of Myrtle Beach. The storm is set to further weaken, but the eastern Carolinas should see between two and four inches of rain. But Ana's winds will mean rough surf, and "people need to stay off the beach for sure," a hurricane expert tells the AP. Per the National Weather Service, "Interests elsewhere in eastern North Carolina and Virginia should monitor the progress of Ana." While such early storms aren't without precedent, the AP notes Ana is the earliest since another storm named Ana in 2003. Meanwhile, the middle of the country is getting some weird weather, too. (More tropical storms stories.)