Tropical Storm Watch issued in Midlands as approaching Helene may cause floods & tornadoes

Hurricane Helene is moving closer to making landfall in the U.S., and becoming a hurricane, and its track is becoming more certain, according to the National Weather Service. And that updated track shows it’s expected to bring severe weather to the Columbia area of South Carolina.

Helene’s effects are forecast to begin impacting the Midlands late Thursday and continue through Friday, National Weather Service meteorologists said in a Wednesday morning briefing.

Heavy rain could lead to potential flooding, while the storm is expected to cause powerful winds in the form of strong gusts and potentially tornadoes, according to the briefing.

A Tropical Storm Watch was issued for both Richland County and Lexington County after 11 a.m. Wednesday. Newberry, Calhoun and Saluda counties are other areas included in the watch, as tropical storm-force winds are possible in the next 48 hours, according to the National Weather Service.

The storm could cause more than 3 inches of rain to fall in Columbia, the National Weather Service said. Localized amounts in other areas could be higher, especially in the western portion of the Midlands.

While rain could begin Thursday afternoon, and continue through Friday afternoon, it’s expected to be the heaviest from Thursday evening and overnight to Friday morning, according to the briefing.

All of that rain could cause flash flooding, and eventually river flooding through the weekend and into next week, the National Weather Service said.

Thursday night to Friday morning is also the time where tornadoes are most likely to form, according to the briefing. The tornado threat to the Midlands has been slightly elevated since Tuesday’s first forecast on Helene from the National Weather Service.

Strong winds are also a threat, as powerful gusts between 40-50 mph are possible on Thursday night and Friday morning, according to the briefing.

Tropical storm force winds could begin lashing the Midlands on Thursday evening, but are most likely to hit the area overnight Thursday into Friday morning, the National Weather Service said.

There’s a 90% chance of 45 mph winds being recorded in Columbia, according to the briefing.

Powerful winds and tornadoes could cause considerable damage to trees and branches, in addition to mobile homes, roofs and outbuildings. Vehicles would also be under siege in the case of a tornado.

Damage to trees and branches creates the possibility of downed power lines and outages.

Helene strengthened into a hurricane and is expected to make landfall near the Big Bend area of Florida, the National Weather Service said. After landfall, Helene is expected to move rapidly north inland as it weakens to a tropical depression by Friday afternoon, according to the briefing.

As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, Hurricane Helene was moving northwest at about 10 mph and had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, and tropical-storm-force winds that extend out up to 175 miles from the center, according to the National Hurricane Center.

While the center of Tropical Storm Helene currently is not tracking over the Columbia area, that does not mean the Midlands won’t feel the impacts. Because of the size of Helene, storm surge, wind, and rainfall impacts will extend well away from the center, the National Hurricane Center said.

Conditions in Columbia are expected to clear by Friday night, and the forecast for Saturday calls for sunny weather with a possible high temperature in the mid 80s.

Showers could return by the end of the weekend, as there’s a 30% chance of rain on Sunday, the forecast shows.

This story was originally published September 25, 2024 at 8:52 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

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Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription