Hurricane Matthew will hit Grand Strand at high tide, governor warns

5:00 p.m. update

The National Hurricane Center issued a new graphic Friday evening with an updated path for Hurricane Matthew.

The hurricane is expected to stay along the South Carolina coast longer than what was initially thought, turning out to sea on Sunday. The northward move was announced Friday morning.

Hurricane Matthew will near Horry County at high tide, raising the concern for flooding and storm surge.

Across the state of South Carolina about 355,000 people have evacuated. There are 69 open shelters across the state, which are currently housing 4,249 evacuees.

In a news conference, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley stated the flooding of the Waccamaw River is “starting to look concerning.” According to the National Weather Service at Conway, the waterway will reach flood stage at 11 feet Saturday and will quickly rise.

Bridges across South Carolina are being monitored for high winds, and all flights have been grounded.

As for access to evacuation zones, law enforcement officers will not allow people into the zones until they are deemed safe, Haley said.

A plan is currently being put together for the aftermath of the storm.

Matthew is nearing the Florida-Georgia line and is expected to near the Grand Strand around 2:00 p.m. Saturday.

A hurricane warning was set for Horry County Friday morning.

7:00 p.m. update

Georgetown County has no implimented a curfew, but officials are encouraging residents to be sheltered and in place no later than 12:00 a.m. While shuttle service has ceased, officals say that there is still room in the shelter in Andrews.

Rainfall forecast has increased significantly, according to the National Weather Service. Areas are expected to receive up to 15 inches of rain, with higher totals in isolated areas. Myrtle Beach is expected to receive about 14 inches of rain.

The increased rainfall brings the potential for increased flash flooding. Impacts of the rain include impassable roads, road wash-outs, and flooding of structures and roads.

Winds are expected to increase Friday night into Saturday. The strongest winds will occur Saturday morning and will last through Saturday night.

Impacts of winds include downed trees blocking roads and damaging homes, power outages, and some damage to structures.

A storm surge warning is still in effect, with the possibility of indundation of five to seven feet above ground level along the ocean front and low-lying tidal areas.

Coastal indundation will likely be highest Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

Check back at myrtlebeachonline.com for updates.

This story was originally published October 7, 2016 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Hurricane Matthew will hit Grand Strand at high tide, governor warns."