Hurricane Laura is forecast to affect the Midlands. Here’s when and what to expect
Hurricane Laura is gaining strength as it closes in on the Louisiana and Texas coast. The storm’s impacts could be devastating to those states, but are forecast to be significantly less dangerous when Laura reaches South Carolina and the Midlands.
Thunderstorms, rain, and increased wind speeds are all possible in the Columbia area overnight Friday and into Saturday, said Leonard Vaughan, a service hydrologist with the National Weather Service office in Columbia.
In spite of its powerful northwest track on Wednesday, projections show Laura will be pushed east by upper level winds, according to Vaughan. The storm will weaken as it moves through the southeast and its remnants track into South Carolina’s Upstate and Midlands regions, according to the National Weather Service.
Unsettled weather — in the form of breezy winds, rain showers, and thunderstorms — produced by Laura isn’t forecast to linger very long in the Columbia area, according to Vaughan.
“The closest the storm is going to be is on Saturday, from morning to afternoon,” Vaughan said. “It will be gone by Sunday, and is just going to be a one-day thing.”
Vaughan said Laura’s affects on the Midlands won’t be as significant as those of Tropical Storm Isaias, which dumped significant rainfall as it rumbled through the region at the beginning of August.
Wind speeds could approach the 12-15 mph range Saturday, with possible gusts of 20 mph or more, according to Vaughan. While saying it’s possible those speeds could increase during storms; no warnings, watches, or advisories in the Midlands are anticipated by Vaughan.
“We’re not going to have sustained winds,” Vaughan said. “For South Carolina, it’s not going to be too bad. In fact, it will probably be pretty nice along the South Carolina coast in Charleston, Hilton Head and on down to Savannah.”
Laura isn’t projected to track near the Lowcountry.
The forecast for Columbia shows a 50 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms on Saturday, and high temperatures are expected to remain in the mid 90-degree range. More thunderstorms are possible that night, which are typical for late August, early September weather, Vaughan said.
That outlook is a far cry from what is anticipated along the Louisiana and Texas coast when the center of the hurricane is expected to make landfall overnight. The national Hurricane Center said Laura is extremely dangerous and a Category 4 storm. It could have an “unsurvivable” 20-foot storm surge capable of sinking entire communities, the Associated Press reported.
