Weather

Hurricane Dorian In South Carolina: Storm Is Category 1

The center of Hurricane Dorian continues to move northeast towards North Carolina, and past South Carolina.

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An initial swath of rain from Hurricane Dorian blankets downtown Charleston, S.C., on the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. The storm was expected to near the South Carolina coast later Wednesday.
An initial swath of rain from Hurricane Dorian blankets downtown Charleston, S.C., on the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. The storm was expected to near the South Carolina coast later Wednesday. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)

CHARLESTON, SC — Coastal towns in South Carolina are still feeling the effects of Hurricane Dorian, but the storm has slowed some in the Palmetto State. Dorian has returned to Category 2, with maximum sustained winds swirling around 100 miles per hour.

The eye of the storm continues to move northeast up the coastline. Dorian is now "brushing the coast of North Carolina," according to the National Hurricane Center's, 11 p.m update on Thursday night.

Even with the center of the storm moving away from South Carolina, residents need to stay on high alert in case of possible flash flooding. Charleston in particular saw dangerous conditions on Thursday.

Find out what's happening in Charlestonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Governor Henry McMaster did though lift the evacuation order in three counties in the southern part of the state, residents living in Jasper, Beaufort, and Colleton could return home as early as Thursday afternoon.

South Carolina counties closer to the coast line aren't so lucky.

Find out what's happening in Charlestonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

As of 12 a.m. Friday, more than 185,000 customers are without power in South Carolina, with over 100,000 Dominion Energy customers without electricity in the state.

The storm is expected to produce heavy rain along the South Carolina coast early Friday — up to 15 inches of rain are possible through Saturday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center's 8 a.m. Thursday update.

South Carolina cities are no longer included in the list of locations with possible storm surges, as the warning now extends from Cape Fear, North Carolina to Poquoson, Virginia, according to Weather.com. A storm surge warning means there is danger of a life-threatening situation from quickly rising water moving inland from the coast.

Hurricane Dorian, Flooding, Wind Threats Continue; 4 U.S. Deaths

A hurricane warning currently extends from the South Santee River to the North Carolina/Virginia border, with the warnings in South Carolina issued for Myrtle Beach, according to Weather.com. The strongest winds are currently being felt along the coast of North Carolina, as of 12:00 a.m. Friday.

By 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6, high volumes of people were fleeing Charleston on Interstate 26, where lanes were reversed to carry a higher volume of evacuees. The lane reversals were expected to continue in effect until mid-afternoon.

At least 300 evacuees huddled inside an American Red Cross shelter at R.B. Stall High School in North Charleston on Wednesday, and more expected as Dorian crawls closer to the coastal city.

Officials estimate around 300 people have sought shelter at a high school in North Charleston as Hurricane Dorian approaches the South Carolina coast. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)

McMaster issued several executive orders Sunday, Sept. 1 after Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas.

Mandatory evacuations in South Carolina started on Monday, Sept. 2, for select zones in the state, and McMaster issued a strong warning on Tuesday, Sept. 3, that all residents within the zone needed to get out.

More than 800,000 people were under evacuation orders in South Carolina, according to Weather.com. Evacuations were also ordered for the Outer Banks and the other barrier islands surrounding North Carolina.

Charleston has a long history of being particularly susceptible to floods, as the city is flat, and only stands a few feet above sea level and next to the ocean, according to CNN.

The Charleston International Airport will also closed at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4.

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