Tropical storm forms off SC coast. Here’s what it means for the Midlands
A tropical storm has formed off the South Carolina coast and is forecast to move inland, the National Hurricane Center said.
A tropical storm warning has been issued for a portion of the coast of South Carolina, from Edisto Beach to the Santee River, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Once it makes landfall late Monday, what is being called Tropical Storm Danny is expected to weaken rapidly, the National Hurricane Center said. The center of the storm is expected to move over South Carolina’s southern coast and move west across the southern part of the state and into Georgia.
As of 5 p.m. Monday, the National Hurricane Center said the storm could “make landfall along the southern coast of South Carolina early (Monday) evening, and move into east-central Georgia late (Monday night) and early Tuesday morning.” It was expected to make landfall near Edisto Beach and Beaufort.
No warnings or watches have been issued for the Midlands, where the effects of the tropical storm are not expected to be severe. A lake wind advisory is in effect across much of South Carolina, including Lake Murray and Lake Marion, according to the state Emergency Management Division.
Heavy rain and breezy conditions are predicted to be the greatest impacts on the Columbia area, according to National Weather Service meteorologist John Quagliariello.
“The greatest impact for the Midlands could be breezy and gusty winds along with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms that could be locally heavy,” Quagliariello said.
While isolated flash flooding is possible in low-lying and other flood-prone locations, river flooding and hail are not expected to be severe weather threats generated by the tropical stor, in the Columbia area, according to the National Weather Service. But Quagliariello did not rule out the possibility of tornadoes.
“The threat of isolated tornadoes are always possible, but it’s not expected to be a major issue,” Quagliariello said.
Wind of 25-35 mph are possible, and gusts could reach up to 40 mph in the Midlands, according to the National Weather Service. Because of that, Quagliariello recommended securing any loose objects outside of homes.
Powerful winds could cause considerable damage to trees and branches, which creates the possibility of downed power lines and outages.
As of 5p.m., the tropical storm had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, with higher gusts, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was about 35 miles southeast of Charleston, but was moving northwest at about a 16 mph clip.
“Danny could produce 1 to 3 inches of rainfall with locally higher amounts along the immediate coasts of Georgia and southern South Carolina,” the Hurricane Center said just after 5 p.m. Monday.
Quagliariello said weather from the storm is forecast to track across the Columbia area sometime between the afternoon and evening, and should be headed toward the Upstate by sunrise on Tuesday morning.
The southeastern portion of the Midlands — including Orangeburg, Bamberg, Barnwell, and even Sumter counties — are expected to experience the strongest winds, according to Quagliariello.
About an inch of rain could fall in Columbia by Tuesday morning, as there is a 30% chance of precipitation, according to the forecast. Higher amounts of rainfall are possible in certain areas affected by storms.
Temperatures are expected to approach a high of 91 degrees before dropping to the low 70s Monday night, according to the forecast. Temperatures are forecast to be in the 90s through the rest of the week, and more rain and thunderstorms are possible in the Columbia area.
Along the coast, the storm could produce 1 to 3 inches of rain, and storm surge flooding is possible, the National Hurricane Center said.
An Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft is investigating the cyclone, the National Hurricane Center said.
This is a developing story, check back for updates. Reporter Chris Trainor contributed to this story.
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This story was originally published June 28, 2021 at 11:27 AM.
