Irma could be ‘major hurricane’ when it reaches SC early next week

Hurricane Irma could make landfall in South Carolina as a major hurricane early as next week, local forecasters said Wednesday.

Hurricane Irma could make landfall in South Carolina as a category 3 or 4 hurricane, according to forecasters in National Weather Service in Columbia. The powerful storm would then move inland, impacting as areas as far away from the coast at the Midlands.

“Right now, the timing would indicate that it would be a Monday or Tuesday event” when Irma reaches SC, according to forecasters. “Intensity could change with time, depending with how much interaction it has with the Bahamas or Florida.”

The newly released information was discussed by forecasters of the National Weather Service in Columbia during a morning call update.

The earliest potential impact South Carolina could have is overnight Sunday into Monday. But forecasters believe it’s more likely that the effects would start Monday around 8 a.m.

As of the 11:20 a.m., call, there is a “significant” threat of wind for areas south of Interstate 20 and east of Interstate 77.

Unlike Hurricane Harvey or the storm that brought South Carolina the October 2015 flood, only moderate flooding is expected because the storm is not expected to stall over South Carolina. Three to six inches of rain are possible, with isolated amounts of up to 10 inches on Monday and Tuesday.

Forecasters, however, said it was too early to predict what areas would see the heaviest rain.

This story was originally published September 6, 2017 at 11:56 AM with the headline "Irma could be ‘major hurricane’ when it reaches SC early next week."