Tornado watch issued in the Midlands, floods possible as Fred moves through Southeast
Tornadoes and flooding are possible in the Columbia area Tuesday as Tropical Depression Fred moves through the Southeast. A tornado watch was issued Tuesday morning until 7 p.m. for a portion of the Midlands.
Although the former tropical storm is continuing to weaken as it moves inland, its still capable of causing severe weather. That includes locations outside the storm’s center, such as the Columbia area.
Storms associated with the remnants of Fred are forecast to bring widespread showers and heavy rain to the Midlands, according to the National Weather Service.
Excessive rainfall could begin late Tuesday morning and continue through the night, and up to an inch of rain is possible in the Midlands, National Weather Service forecasters said in a morning briefing. Higher amounts of rainfall are possible in certain areas affected by storms.
Heavy rain could lead to localized flash flooding in small streams as well as in urban and low-lying areas with poor drainage, forecasters said.
The threat of flooding is greatest in the area along and north of Interstate 20 and west of Interstate 77, which received around 1 to 2 inches of rain yesterday, according to the National Weather Service.
Isolated tornadoes are possible as well, according to the briefing. The area facing the greatest tornado risk is also north of I-20 and west of I-77, the National Weather Service said.
No warnings have been issued for the Midlands, but a tornado watch was issued for an area that includes Newberry and Saluda counties, according to the National Weather Service.
The tornado watch also includes parts of the Upstate region — including Edgefield, McCormick, Greenwood, Abbeville, Union, Laurens, Cherokee, Pickens, Oconee, Spartanburg, Anderson, and Greenville counties — in addition to sections of Georgia and North Carolina.
Fred made landfall Monday afternoon in Florida’s Panhandle with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
As of 5 a.m. Tuesday, the storm was near the Georgia-Alabama state line and was moving north-northeast at 14 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. Fred is expected to continue moving inland this week, where it will spread heavy rains.
The storms are expected to move on by Wednesday, when the probability for widespread hazardous weather is low, according to the National Weather Service.
Although Fred is forecast to move out of the Columbia area, showers will continue in the storm’s wake. There’s a 50% chance of precipitation Wednesday, and more rain is possible through next Monday, the forecast shows.
More heat is expected with the wet conditions. High temperatures are forecast to be in the 90s on Wednesday and will continue there through the rest of the week.
Fred is not the only tropical storm churning in the Atlantic Ocean.
On Monday, Tropical Depression Grace drenched earthquake-damaged Haiti, while Henri formed near Bermuda, marking the eighth time this hurricane season that a tropical depression has strengthened into a tropical storm. Neither Grace nor Henri is currently forecast to hit South Carolina, according to the National Hurricane Center.
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