Ana was spawned off the coast of Georgia on Thursday as the first named storm of the 2015 Atlantic tropical storm season.
Technically, Ana is a subtropical storm because she didn’t form in tropical latitudes. She’s not packing anything close to hurricane force gales, but instead a stiff breeze of 45 mph maximum sustained winds, according to the National Weather Surface.
Ana is creeping at 2 mph toward land and is expected to arrive at the coastline in the Charleston area late Sunday.
Despite its lack of fierce winds, beach-goers and sailors should take Ana seriously.
High rip currents could sweep swimmers on the shores of Georgia and South Carolina out to sea. The storm may push in coastal flooding in South Carolina.
High waves and rough winds could give boats — particularly small craft — a dangerously rough ride.