Tropical Storm Beryl moved across northeastern Florida early Monday, bringing drenching rains, driving winds and the threat of flooding to the southeastern U.S. coast, forecasters said. The National Hurricane Center in Miami reported that the center of Beryl made landfall near Jacksonville Beach at around 12:10 a.m., with near-hurricane-strength winds of 70 mph (113 kph).

Tropical Storm Beryl was close to making landfall in the southeastern U.S. late Sunday, as coastal areas were already starting to feel the impact of drenching rains and driving winds.

SAVANNAH, Ga. Subtropical storm Beryl began moving faster toward an expected landfall Sunday night on the Southeast U.S. coast, threatening Memorial Day beachgoers with forecast conditions of dangerous surf and drenching rains from northeast Florida up through a swath of the Carolinas.

MIAMI Tropical storm warnings have been issued for the Southeast coast from north Florida to South Carolina as a cluster of thunderstorms was gathering strength early Saturday and expected to become Tropical Storm Beryl over the Memorial Day weekend.

Virginia’s annual sales tax “holiday” on purchases to prepare for a hurricane begins today and continues through Thursday.

The program allows consumers to save the state’s 5 percent sales tax on batteries, flashlights, bottled water, duct tape, mobile-phone chargers, first-aid kits and other products. Large items such as generators also are tax free during this week.

The Atlantic coast could see a near-normal hurricane season this year with one to three major hurricanes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

MIAMI  Alberto has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone and is expected to stay well offshore as it moves up the Atlantic. Alberto's maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph. Additional weakening is expected and forecasters say Alberto could dissipate Thursday.

MIAMI  Alberto has weakened to a tropical depression as it spins off the coast of the Carolinas.   The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says Alberto's maximum sustained winds were near 35 mph Monday evening.  

GREENVILLE, N.C. A Raleigh law firm is working with Legal Aid of North Carolina to find what problems people still have from Hurricane Irene.

By Tom Foreman Jr. RALEIGH, N.C.  The first tropical storm of the hurricane season formed Saturday off the coast of South Carolina with top winds of 60 mph, but it wasn't threatening land. Forecasters said early Saturday evening that Tropical Storm Alberto was centered about 130 miles east of Charleston, S.C.