Strong, howling winds still a threat in the Midlands as storms rumble through
Strong winds continue to be a threat in the Midlands Monday morning even as powerful thunderstorms continue to move out of the area.
A wind advisory is in effect for the Columbia area until 2 p.m. extended from the previous expiration time at 11 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.
The damaging winds could persist even after the wind advisory expires, but are expected to subside by the afternoon, National Weather Service meteorologists said in a morning briefing.
The forecast says to expect strong southwest to westerly winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts around 50 mph.
A 61 mph gust was recorded at Orangeburg Municipal Airport, while powerful winds were confirmed at the Richland County Administration Building (59 mph), Dutch Fork High School (56 mph), the press box at Williams-Brice Stadium (51 mph), and Columbia Metropolitan Airport (49 mph) among other area locations.
Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and tree limbs could be downed, the National Weather Service said. Isolated downed trees and power outages are possible because of the winds, along with saturated ground from recent rainfall, according to the briefing.
About 3.7 inches of rain was recorded in St. Matthews, while 2 inches of precipitation was reported in areas of Columbia.
As of 6:45 a.m., more than 127,000 outages had been reported by power companies in South Carolina. Dominion Energy said 20,711 blackouts were reported in the Columbia/Lexington area, while another 26,394 outages were reported in the Midlands by the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina.
There continues to be a 50% chance of continued rain in the Columbia area until at least 10 a.m., according to the forecast.
Drivers should also be cautious when on the roads during the Monday morning commute because of the powerful winds and continued rain, meteorologists said in the wind advisory.
Several crashes were reported on Interstate 26 and Interstate 20 before 6 a.m., according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
The threat of unsafe driving conditions has prompted many Midlands school districts to cancel classes or delay the start of the day by two hours.
A tornado warning was issued overnight in Orangeburg County, but no tornadoes have been confirmed. The warning has since expired.
But storm damage has been reported across the Midlands.
Trees have fallen across the region, including in a yard in the Rosewood neighborhood and on homes on Jackson Avenue in Columbia and in the Dentsville area of Richland County. Fallen trees have blocked roads in Lexington, including North Lake Drive and Hendrix Street.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published January 3, 2022 at 6:36 AM.
