A tropical storm watch stretches along the coast from Edisto Beach, S.C., to the South Santee River. The hurricane center said those elsewhere along the southeast coast of the United States should also keep an eye on Chantal. Chantal is expected to track slowly to the north and then northwest and move onshore in South Carolina by Sunday morning.

Although forecasters do not expect Chantal to become a hurricane, the storm is likely to dump several inches of heavy rainfall across the Carolinas.

Four Southeastern states are at risk of "drenching" thunderstorms associated with a possible tropical storm off the coast that could form this weekend. Even if the storm doesn't form, it will bring heavy rainfall and a risk of dangerous flash floods along the southeastern U.