Effects of Hurricane Dorian expected to hit Midlands around midnight, forecasters say

Hurricane Dorian is still forecast to cause heavy rain and tropical storm force winds to parts of the Midlands as it approaches South Carolina, the National Weather Service said Wednesday.

Dorian regained status as a Category 3 hurricane as it moved within 100 miles of the South Carolina coast, the National Hurricane Center said in an 11 p.m. update.

Bamberg, Orangeburg, Calhoun, Clarendon, Sumter, and Lee counties are all under a tropical storm warning, according to a NWS release.

Flash flood watches have also been issued for Bamberg, Orangeburg, Clarendon, Calhoun, Sumter and Lee counties, the NWS reported.

Tropical storm force winds are most likely to impact the eastern Midlands Wednesday night and into Thursday, the National Weather Service said. Some tropical force storm wind gusts could extend in the Columbia area.

Impacted areas can expect fallen trees, downed power lines, closed roads and power outages.

The hurricane effects are most likely to arrive around midnight, and through Thursday morning, according to the NWS office in Columbia. Strong winds will continue throughout the day Thursday.

“We’re already seeing outer bands coming on shore ... really from Savannah to Georgetown, they’re starting to see showers and thunderstorms associated with the hurricane,” said Rachel Cobb, a meteorologist with the NWS office in Columbia.

Dorian is currently a Category 2 hurricane that is about 130 miles south of Charleston, the National Hurricane Center said in an 8 p.m. update.

Dorian was about 240 miles southeast of Columbia, and 210 miles from Orangeburg, at 8 p.m., according to the NWS Columbia. The hurricane has tropical storm-force winds that extend out 195 miles, according to the NHC.

Now with sustained winds at 110 mph, the hurricane is forecast to get closer, as its current track has it moving northwest at 8 mph, the NHC said.

The eastern part of the Midlands can expect to see up to six inches of rain in some places and sustained winds of 39 miles per hour or higher, according to the National Weather Service.

It is possible the eastern Midlands will see some “brief” tornadoes, but the overall threat of tornadoes is small, the weather service said Wednesday.

“A brief tornado or two in the eastern Midlands cannot be ruled out based on track uncertainty,” the weather service said in a release.

There is a minor possibility of river flooding in the eastern Midlands, but rivers in the Columbia area do not appear threatened, the weather service said.

While the most significant effects of the hurricane are likely to impact the eastern Midlands, any shift west could bring more powerful weather conditions to the Columbia area, according to the NWS.

The Columbia area could see up to an inch of rain Thursday, Cobb said. Sustained wind speeds could reach 25 miles per hour with up to 40 mile per hour gusts, Cobb said.

“Midlands (residents) should prepare now by bringing in garbage cans, outdoor furniture, or any other loose items that could be blown around by the wind,” tweeted the National Weather Service’s Columbia branch.

National Weather Service officials are confident the Midlands will see some effect from the hurricane, but say the forecast to specific areas could change, especially if Hurricane Dorian’s track changes.

The storm is projected to move “near or over” the South Carolina coast on Thursday.

S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster called a state of emergency and ordered evacuations over the weekend and is urging coastal residents to leave. There, the Lowcountry is expected to receive five to 10 inches of rain, and up to 15 inches in some spots, according to the National Weather Service.

The City of Columbia advised drivers to be aware these flood-prone intersections:

▪ Main and Whaley

▪ Gervais and Laurens

▪ Blossom and Henderson

▪ Blossom and Saluda

▪ Harden and Santee

▪ Monroe and Maple

▪ Two Notch and Read

▪ Wheat and Amherst

▪ Adger and Devine

▪ Wheat and Sumter

▪ Wheat and Pickens

▪ Heyward and Ravenel

▪ Pickens between Wheat and Green

▪ Barnwell and Pendleton

▪ Harden and Read

▪ Harden and Calhoun

▪ Franklin and Marion

▪ Franklin and Sumter

▪ Columbia College and N. Main

▪ Bull and Laurel

This story was originally published September 4, 2019 at 1:14 PM.