Forecast shows Maria’s track shifting west. Here’s what that means for the Grand Strand

Hurricane Maria is still a Category 3 storm, and the latest update shows her cone has shifted west, putting her closer to the U.S. coast.

Forecasters warned earlier this week that while the storm would likely be well out to sea when she passed the Southeast coast, the Grand Strand would still likely feel her effects in the forms of rough surf and a high risk for rip currents.

On Saturday, a mid-morning update stated tropical storm or hurricane watches could go into effect for the Carolinas, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 11 a.m. update Saturday.

Reid Hawkins, Science and Operations Officer with the National Weather Service in Wilmington, N.C., said that while the cone of uncertainty has moved westward, the Grand Strand is still not likely to see dramatic impacts, like high wind gusts, at this point.

There is the potential for some tropical-storm force winds for the Grand Strand, but chances were listed as low Saturday morning.

Hawkins said the storm would still stir up rough waters for the Grand Strand this weekend and into next week.

“Right now, if it takes that westerly track, we can see, you know, some high seas, like today, we’ve got a high rip current risk out,” Hawkins said.

He said it was too soon to know what, if any, rain bands the area could get from the storm, but said forecasters should know more as they keep watching the storm.

Northern parts of North Carolina entered the storm’s cone of uncertainty, according to the latest models, and Hawkins said the Outer Banks area, not the Grand Strand, is the region that could see more of an impact now based on those models.

Hawkins said the storm is expected to weaken to a Category 1 as it passes by the Carolinas. He said more information on the storm and her possible impacts on the Carolinas would be released later Saturday afternoon.

Steve Pfaff, warning coordination meteorologist, provided an update Saturday afternoon.

“Maria’s swells will result in high surf, rip currents, hazardous boating conditions, and possibly coastal flooding Sunday through Wednesday. Most of Maria’s direct impacts will likely remain just offshore from this part of the Carolinas unless the track shifts farther west,” according to the weather briefing.

An 11 a.m. update from the NHC showed Maria remained a Category 3 and was weakening a bit as she moved at about 8 mph with 115 mph winds. The storm pounded Puerto Rico and Turks and Caicos this weekend.

Please check back for story updates.

This story was originally published September 23, 2017 at 12:56 PM with the headline "Forecast shows Maria’s track shifting west. Here’s what that means for the Grand Strand."