MIAMI – Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center say the depression off the Southeast coast has strengthened into Tropical Storm Cristobal.

Associated Press

At 2 p.m. EDT Saturday, the center of the storm was about 100 miles east of Charleston, S.C., and about 225 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C. It's moving toward the northeast at about 7 mph and was expected to hug the Carolinas' coast during the next two days. Several inches of rain have already fallen in some areas along the North Carolina coast, and cities are under flood advisories as more rain is expected.

This is the first storm to threaten the U.S. this hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30.