Meteorologist to SC: On land or off shore, Matthew could bring major damage
Meteorologists are warning residents along the South Carolina coast to prepare for major impacts from Hurricane Matthew as the huge storm makes its way up the East Coast later this week.
Matthew made landfall in Haiti this morning as a Category 4 hurricane, unleashing life-threatening 140-mph winds and heavy rains as it barreled through the Caribbean. At least three people have been killed so far, according to the Associated Press, and thousands have been forced from their homes.
The powerful storm system isn’t showing signs of weakening as it moves north, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Michael Stroz.
“Matthew seems to be staying consistently strong,” Stroz said Tuesday morning. “ It could lose some strength as it tracks across mountains in Cuba over the next day or so, but, could possibly start strengthening after (it hits) the Bahamas.”
Hurricane Matthew
Source: National Hurricane Center
After the storm moves through Cuba, it may lose some strength as it makes its way up the Florida coast, but not by much.
“Matthew could be one of the worst storms we’ve seen in South Carolina in years,” Stroz said. “There is potential for major impacts across the area. It’s been quite a while since South Carolina has seen a major hurricane.”
National Weather Service models predict the storm could move along the South Carolina coast between Friday night and Saturday morning.
“It’s still pretty early, so it’s hard to predict how close to the coast Hurricane Matthew will track,” Stroz said. “So levels of impact are hard to predict at this time. It could make landfall or stay far offshore.”
No matter the track, the South Carolina coast will be impacted, he said.
“If it’s close to land, we could see major impacts from hurricane-level winds, heavy rains, flooding, and dangerous sea conditions,” Stroz said.
He said the National Weather Service in Charleston is encouraging South Carolinians to closely monitor the storm. “... People need to take it seriously,” he said.
When tracking the storm, Stroz said it’s important to pay attention to the entire system, not just the eye.
“The storm itself could be 100 miles wide, and anywhere in that area of impact could see dangerous winds and heavy rains,” Stroz said.
For example, the National Hurricane Center said that anywhere within 40 miles from the eye of the storm will see hurricane-level conditions. Anywhere within 180 miles will see tropical storm conditions, Stroz.
The entire East Coast is on alert this week as the storm leaves the Bahamas around Wednesday.
“This is a major system and everyone in South Carolina needs to be following the weather and preparing for the storm this week,” Stroz said.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s office issued an alert Monday evening encouraging residents to prepare for flooding, especially in low-lying areas.
The Sheriff's Office Emergency Operations Center has scheduled a press conference at 2:30 p.m. today to discuss Hurricane Matthew preparations. The last evacuation of any kind for Beaufort County was in 2004, when Gov. Mark Sanford called for a voluntary evacuation for Hurricane Charley.
The S.C. Emergency Management Division has also begun initial preparations for Hurricane Matthew. Gov. Nikki Haley will hold a press conference today 3 p.m. to discuss Hurricane Matthew’s potential impact to the state.
Mandy Matney: 843-706-8147, @MandyMatney
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This story was originally published October 4, 2016 at 2:23 PM.