Severe weather saturated Horry, but expected to dry out Saturday

A swath of heavy rainfall covered parts of the coastal Carolinas, including Horry and Georgetown counties, though most places didn’t have too much flooding.

Saturday is expected to be much nicer, though the morning may be partly cloudy, according to Rick Kreitner, forecaster with the National Weather Service in Wilmington, N.C.

“By daybreak you can expect the rain to be long gone, but there may be a few clouds,” he said.

A system of developing low pressure along the Gulf Coast was the culprit bringing in the heavy downpours Friday, according to Steve Pfaff, another forecaster with NWS. Wind gusts of 30 to 40 miles per hour hit the Grand Strand as well Friday night.

“Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches occurred during a relatively short period of time. Areas remain saturated and when combined with the additional rainfall, some locations could receive flooding,” Pfaff said in a release.

As of 8 p.m. Friday, the Myrtle Beach area garnered .77 inches of rain, Kreitner said.

Parts of Garden City Beach and Pawleys Island flooded for a bit Friday afternoon, but water levels dropped after the rain let up around 2:30 p.m. Some people were milling around the MarshWalk in Murrells Inlet despite the wind and rain, but most folks decided to stay inside.

Melissa Benjamin, who was visiting from Boston, said the rain wasn’t a problem.

“As long as it’s not snow or freezing weather, it’s good,” she said. “This isn’t even really winter.”

Existing saturation in the area from previous rainfall made conditions for flooding more likely, so forecasters wanted to issue an advisory about the potential impacts of the heavy rain coming in, Pfaff said.

“I guess the saving grace is that [the storm system] is moving fairly quick, so it will be a strong punch, but at least just one punch with it,” Pfaff said of the rain that is expected to taper off Saturday morning.

The heaviest rainfall was along the coast, but there is also a slight risk of a tornado developing Friday night, weather authorities said. A flood warning remains in effect for parts of Conway and Georgetown, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

Strong winds and building seas caused hazardous marine conditions, and a small craft advisory is in effect for coastal waters and gale warning is issued for offshore, forecasters said.

“If any issues arise, we’ll do what needs to be done,” Brooke Holden with Horry County Emergency Management said. “We are on top of it.”

Holden said Horry County emergency officials were operating on normal levels, but were keeping a close eye on the storm.

Temperatures reached into the low 60s Friday, which was perfectly fine for visitor Ellen Smith. She’s used to freezing weather from Massachusetts and Ireland, so the fog and wind wasn’t a bother.

“We’re Irish – we don’t mind the rain, snow or anything,” she said.

Emergency officials had been monitoring the storm closely this week and said they are prepared to take safety measures, such as opening shelters, if needed, Holden said.

Horry County Emergency Management officials are always on stand-by, even outside of business hours and holidays, Holden said.

Holden didn’t urge residents to take any precautionary measures, but said if anyone begins to feel unsafe in their homes from flooding, they can call 911 or the police, and someone will come and get them.

Another low pressure system could bring some light rain on Sunday, Pfaff also warned, but that system is not projected to be as hard of a hit as Friday’s, he said.

Pfaff also said that the storm is completely unrelated to the rare January hurricane currently swirling in the Atlantic.

Pffaf also warned of an Arctic blast coming Monday and lasting through Wednesday that could cause temperatures to plummet.

This story was originally published January 15, 2016 at 1:19 PM with the headline "Severe weather saturated Horry, but expected to dry out Saturday."