The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning Wednesday for part of the Gulf Coast, and a hurricane watch was also already in effect.
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The latest track from the National Hurricane Center pushes Hermine into the Coastal Empire early Friday morning and off the SC coast, moving rapidly away from our area Friday evening.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management continues to actively monitor Tropical Storm Hermine and urges everyone in Florida to remain vigilant and take all necessary precautions as it moves toward the Gulf Coast.
Florida Governor Rick Scott declared an emergency on Wednesday in 42 of the state’s 67 counties in advance of Tropical Storm Hermine that could make landfall on the north-central Gulf Coast between late Thursday and early Friday.
Wind: Tropical storm conditions are expected to first reach the coast within the warning area on Thursday afternoon.
The National Hurricane Center issued the watch Tuesday morning for coastal portions of southeast Georgia and northeast Florida.
North Carolina’s Outer Banks apparently will be spared from a tropical system that has been moving toward the state for days. I suspect they issued due to a few models increasing to hurricane strength and a blow up of convection more to the North of the suspected center. Very moist air on the eastern side of the system will bring showers and storms with very heavy rainfall through Thursday to the Treasure Coast.
Tropical Storm Hermine had max winds of 40 miles per hour.
Officials said residents and businesses along the coast should be rapidly making preparations Wednesday, such as boarding up and sandbagging as necessary. The park plans to reopen for normal operating hours on Saturday, barring any extensive damage from the storm.
The storm is now idling in the Gulf of Mexico, but it won’t sit still for long.
It is not expected to impact Texas, but Florida is standing by for the worst. SC beaches should be on alert for wind, rain, flood, and rip current threats from late Thursday into late Friday. High pressure over the Great Basin promotes partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies into the desert southwest.
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The storm could drop 1-3 inches of rain over much of the watch area, with some areas possibly getting 5 inches, NHC officials said.
