Tropical storm advisory remains in effect for North Carolina as “Claudette” continues her way through the southeastern US

(CNN) – A tropical storm warning was issued for large areas of the North Carolina coast, as Tropical Depression Claudette continues to cause heavy rains in much of the southeastern United States this Sunday.

Claudette was located about 80 miles west of Columbia, South Carolina, at 5 p.m. Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The storm can cause isolated tornadoes, flash floods, and high winds.

The tropical depression, which had maximum sustained winds of 30 miles per hour early Sunday, is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm early Monday as it passes through North Carolina and into the western Atlantic.

Much of the North Carolina coastline, from Little River Inlet to Duck, including the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds, is under a tropical storm watch, according to the NHC.

As Claudette moves further from the East Coast, a 12 to 36-inch storm surge is possible from the North Carolina-Virginia border south to Little Inlet in South Carolina.

A tropical storm watch has been issued for areas of South Carolina from the South Santee River to Little River Inlet, which could see conditions worsen late Sunday or early Monday.

Parts of Alabama, Georgia and northern Florida will see heavy rains throughout Sunday.

Claudette weakens but can regain strength

After the Gulf storm made landfall, it weakened into a tropical depression on Saturday, but downpours continued to hit the region.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), flash floods were reported in parts of Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle early in the afternoon on Saturday.

A total of 1.5-4.5 meters of rain could fall in those areas by the end of the storm, the NHC said. As of Saturday afternoon, parts of Mississippi had received more than 3.3 meters of rain, and parts of southeastern Louisiana had received more than 2.4 meters, according to the NWS.

Strong winds also hit the communities. Tropical storm-force winds – at least 63 km / h – extended up to 330 km southeast of the storm’s center early Saturday afternoon, the NHC said.

A tornado struck in Alabama on Saturday

As Claudette struck as a tropical storm Saturday morning, a tornado struck the East Brewton community in southern Alabama, the Brewton Fire Department said, according to the NWS.

Images from resident Alicia Jossey showed debris from downed trees and other materials strewn across East Brewton, a community of about 2,900 residents near the Florida state line in Escambia County.

Three people from Escambia were injured by the tornado, according to the county’s Emergency Management Agency. The tornado also damaged several homes, and authorities closed Highway 29 in east Brewton due to power lines on the road.

Jossey told WPMI, affiliate of CNN, who had just enough time for his 17-year-old son and his pets to take refuge in the center of the house. When the storm passed and they got out, she was “in shock.”

“I have people’s hats in my driveway, and I have frames from people’s houses and little things like remains of someone’s construction,” he said. “I have half of someone’s car seat in my backyard.”

CNN’s Haley Brink, Tyler Mauldin, Allison Chinchar, David Williams, Claudia Domínguez and Andy Rose contributed to this report.