**CORE OF EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE MICHAEL CLOSING IN ON THE COAST OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE**
NEW INFORMATION --------------- * CHANGES TO WATCHES AND WARNINGS: - None * CURRENT WATCHES AND WARNINGS: - A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Allendale, Beaufort, Bulloch, Candler, Charleston, Coastal Bryan, Coastal Chatham, Coastal Colleton, Coastal Jasper, Coastal Liberty, Coastal McIntosh, Dorchester, Effingham, Evans, Hampton, Inland Berkeley, Inland Bryan, Inland Chatham, Inland Colleton, Inland Jasper, Inland Liberty, Inland McIntosh, Jenkins, Long, Screven, Tattnall, and Tidal Berkeley * STORM INFORMATION: - About 430 miles west-southwest of Charleston SC or about 340 miles west-southwest of Savannah GA - 29.4N 86.0W - Storm Intensity 145 mph - Movement North-northeast or 15 degrees at 14 mph
SITUATION OVERVIEW ------------------ Major Hurricane Michael is forecast to make landfall along the Florida panhandle this afternoon. Michael is forecast to track northeastward across Georgia and South Carolina through Thursday gradually weakening to a tropical storm. The main hazards across Southeast South Carolina and Southeast Georgia will include tropical storm force winds, isolated to scattered tornadoes, heavy rainfall resulting in isolated freshwater flooding, dangerous surf conditions, and coastal flooding. The primary time period for the most significant impacts will be from this evening through Thursday evening.
POTENTIAL IMPACTS ----------------- * TORNADOES: Protect against a dangerous tornado event having possible significant impacts across southeast South Carolina and southeast Georgia. Potential impacts include: - Isolated to scattered tornadoes can hinder the execution of emergency plans. - Scattered locations could experience enhanced damage due to tornadoes with a few spots of considerable damage, power loss, and communications failures. - Scattered locations could realize roofs torn off frame houses, mobile homes demolished, boxcars overturned, large trees snapped or uprooted, vehicles tumbled, and small boats tossed about. * WIND: Protect against dangerous wind having possible significant impacts across Southeast South Carolina and Southeast Georgia. Potential impacts in this area include: - Some damage to roofing and siding materials, along with damage to porches, awnings, carports, and sheds. A few buildings experiencing window, door, and garage door failures. Mobile homes damaged, especially if unanchored. Unsecured lightweight objects become dangerous projectiles. - Several large trees snapped or uprooted, but with greater numbers in places where trees are shallow rooted. - Some roads impassable from large debris, and more within urban or heavily wooded places. A few bridges and access routes impassable. - Travel by vehicle or on foot increasingly difficult. Danger of death or injury from falling objects such as trees or electric wires outside. - Scattered power and communications outages, but more prevalent in areas with above ground lines, which could persist for hours or days. - Some poorly secured small craft could break loose from their moorings. * FLOODING RAIN: Protect against dangerous rainfall flooding having possible significant impacts across Southeast South Carolina and Southeast Georgia. Potential impacts include: - Moderate rainfall flooding could prompt some rescues. - Rivers and tributaries could quickly become swollen with swifter currents and overspill their banks in a few places, especially in normally vulnerable spots. Small streams, creeks, canals, and ditches overflow. - Flood waters can enter some structures or weaken foundations. Several places could experience expanded areas of rapid inundation at underpasses, low-lying spots, and poor drainage areas. Some streets and parking lots take on moving water as storm drains and retention ponds overflow. Driving conditions become hazardous. Some road and bridge closures. * OTHER COASTAL HAZARDS: Life-threatening rip currents and very rough surf are expected at area beaches. Some beach erosion is anticipated. * SURGE: Protect against locally hazardous surge having possible limited impacts across south coastal South Carolina and north coastal Georgia. Potential impacts in this area include: - Localized inundation of saltwater mainly along immediate shorelines and in low-lying spots farther inland near rivers and creeks. - Sections of near-shore roads and parking lots become overspread with surge water. Driving conditions hazardous in places where surge water covers the road. - Minor to moderate beach erosion. Heavy surf possibly breaching dunes, mainly in normally vulnerable locations. Strong rip currents. - Minor to locally moderate damage to marinas, docks, boardwalks, and piers. A few small craft broken away from moorings. Elsewhere across southeast South Carolina and southeast Georgia, little to no impact is anticipated.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS ---------------------------------- *
OTHER PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION: Now is the time to complete all preparations to protect life and property in accordance with your emergency plan. Ensure you are in a safe location before the onset of strong winds or possible flooding. Keep cell phones well charged. Cell phone chargers for automobiles can be helpful, but be aware of your risk for deadly carbon monoxide poisoning if your car is left idling in a garage or other poorly ventilated area. It is important to remain calm, informed, and focused during an emergency. Be patient and helpful with those you encounter. If you are a visitor, be sure to know the name of the city or town in which you are staying and the name of the county in which it resides. Listen for these locations in local news updates. Pay attention for instructions from local authorities. Rapidly rising flood waters are deadly. If you are in a flood-prone area, consider moving to higher ground. Never drive through a flooded roadway. Remember, turn around don`t drown! If a Tornado Warning is issued for your area, be ready to shelter quickly, preferably away from windows and in an interior room not prone to flooding. If driving, scan the roadside for quick shelter options. If in a place that is vulnerable to high wind, such as near large trees, a manufactured home, upper floors of a high-rise building, or on a boat, consider moving to a safer shelter before the onset of strong winds or flooding. Closely monitor weather.gov, NOAA Weather radio or local news outlets for official storm information. Be ready to adapt to possible changes to the forecast. Ensure you have multiple ways to receive weather warnings. * ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION: - For information on appropriate preparations see ready.gov - For information on creating an emergency plan see getagameplan.org - For additional disaster preparedness information see redcross.org
NEXT UPDATE ----------- The next local statement will be issued by the National Weather Service in Charleston SC around 3 PM EDT, or sooner if conditions warrant.