Friday, Sep. 05, 2008

3 p.m. Report on first rain bands

The first powerful rain band associated with Tropical Storm Hanna swept across the South Carolina coast shortly after noon today.

The Charleston airport got half an inch of rain between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., and North Myrtle Beach got 1.6 inches in that same period. Radar showed a second wave of thunderstorms poised to come ashore between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Forecasters expect about 4 inches of rain from the fast-moving storm, but particularly heavy thunderstorms in some areas could push the total around 7 inches.

Sustained winds at most coastal National Weather Service sites still were less than 20 mph at 3 p.m. Winds on a buoy off Charleston were at 23 mph at 3 p.m.

The storm will be moving fast northward when it passes through Brunswick County, and the Weather Service said maximum winds will last from about midnight to 3 a.m. Saturday.

Wave heights could reach 12 to 14 feet 20 miles out to sea, with a 2- to 4-foot storm surge along the coast. Minor to moderate coastal flooding is expected. The possibility of rip currents the next couple of days throughout the Southeast is higher than normal, the weather service said.

— Joey Holleman, with wire reports

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