Isaias near hurricane strength as it crawls toward Carolinas

Associated Press

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — Isaias was forecast to return to hurricane strength Monday before making landfall in the Carolinas, where coastal residents were warned to brace for flooding rains and storm surge.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning from South Santee River, South Carolina, to Surf City, North Carolina. Isaias was still a tropical storm at 11 a.m. EDT with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph), but it was expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane later Monday, with winds of 74 mph (119 kph) or more.

"We are forecasting it to be...