SC governor declares state of emergency as tropical system takes aim at coast
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency Friday, ahead of a tropical system that will impact the Carolinas.
The storm, which is now called Potential Tropical Cyclone 9, was off the coast of Cuba Friday. It is expected to gain strength and turn into a tropical depression called Imelda early this weekend.
>> Watch the forecast video at the top of this webpage for the latest track on the storm.
The “cone”, issued by the National Hurricane Center, shows the storm turning into a hurricane and making landfall anywhere between Florida and the North Carolina coast.
It will impact the Carolinas either way.
It looks like it will be a rainmaker for the Charlotte area starting Monday night or Tuesday morning. The storm could bring strong winds and possible severe weather.
>>>LINK: WSOC’s Tracking the Tropics page
Landfall could happen on Tuesday.
READ MORE: Tropical system may hit Carolinas Monday
There is still uncertainty but as the storm moves closer to shore, our meteorologists will have a better idea of what to expect.
The governor’s order activates the South Carolina Emergency Operations Plan and directs the South Carolina Emergency Management Division to prepare and coordinate procedures with all relevant local, state, and federal agencies in advance of the landfall of a potential tropical storm or hurricane. The order also allows state and local emergency management agencies to be eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement for storm-related expenses.
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“As this storm approaches our coast, I am issuing a State of Emergency to ensure Team South Carolina is able to access and deploy the resources and personnel needed to prepare for and respond to this storm,” said McMaster Friday in a news release. “While the storm’s arrival, speed, and intensity remain hard to predict, we do know that it will bring significant wind, heavy rainfall, and flooding across the ENTIRE state of South Carolina. We have seen this before. Now is the time to start paying attention to forecasts, updates, and alerts from official sources and begin making preparations.”
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