Tuesday update: Here’s what SC’s Midlands should expect from Hurricane Dorian

Those living in some Midlands communities of South Carolina can expect to see tropical storm-force winds, heavy rain and possible tornadoes from Hurricane Dorian as early as Wednesday afternoon, officials said Tuesday.

The eastern counties in the Midlands are most likely to see the wind and rain effects of Dorian, according to a release from the National Weather Service.

Six Midlands counties — Bamberg, Orangeburg, Calhoun, Clarendon, Lee and Sumter — were placed on a tropical storm warnings Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

The eastern portions of the Midlands could see up to five inches of rain, depending on where the storm moves.

Forecasters are confident the eastern Midlands will see some effects from Dorian — likely Wednesday night and Thursday — but the extent to which it will affect forecasters are less certain.

The bulk of the projected, severe weather is east of Richland County. Columbia is not currently under a tropical storm watch or warning. Columbia is currently projected to get an inch or less of rain.

As of Tuesday evening, Hurricane Dorian has moved north of the Bahamas, traveling northwest at about six miles per hour, the release said.

Dorian was downgraded this morning to a Category 2 hurricane and has maximum, sustained winds of 110 miles per hour, with wind gusts exceeding that. That’s a sharp decrease from Sunday, when the storm was a Category 5 hurricane, packing sustained winds of up to 185 miles per hour.

Last week, the hurricane was projected to strike the southeast part of the United States head-on. S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency Saturday. However, that projection has changed.

“Dorian will most likely stay offshore, but a shift to the west and an increased threat to the Midlands ... cannot be totally ruled out,” according to the National Weather Service release.

Even if the eye of Dorian doesn’t make landfall in South Carolina, the Midlands could still feel effects. Tropical storm force winds currently extend 175 miles from the center of the hurricane, according to the National Weather Service. For comparison, Columbia is just under 125 miles from Charleston.

Those in South Carolina’s coastal counties — still in the “cone of uncertainty” — are still being advised to evacuate, according to a previous article from The State.

For South Carolina’s Lowcountry, which includes Charleston and Hilton Head, the National Weather Service has issued a hurricane warning. The rest of the S.C. Coast is under a hurricane watch, according to a previous article from The State.

This story was originally published September 3, 2019 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Tuesday update: Here’s what SC’s Midlands should expect from Hurricane Dorian."