Hurricane Helene calls for potential tornadoes in Myrtle Beach area and North Carolina
The National Weather Service has increased the status of Tropical Storm Helene to Hurricane Helene as of Thursday morning, according to weather reports.
The storm is expected to have its biggest impact in the Myrtle Beach area starting on Thursday evening, overnight into Friday morning, reports from the National Weather Service out of Wilmington, NC said.
Currently, Horry County is under a tropical storm warning.
Ahead of the storm, Horry County canceled school and all extracurricular activities for Friday.
The overarching main threat to the Myrtle Beach area remains the possibility of isolated tornadoes Thursday night, the NWS said.
That tornado threat is slightly higher in coastal northeast South Carolina compared to southeast North Carolina, the reports said.
Starting on Friday, the report said the threat for tornadoes will begin to shift north and northeast from the Myrtle Beach area during the day.
Due to the large physical size of the storm, a Thursday morning update from the NWS in Wilmington, North Carolina, said effects will be felt far away from the storm’s exact track.
“Local impacts will include gusty winds, some areas of flooding, isolated tornadoes, and dangerous surf conditions,” the update said about the Myrtle Beach area.
As a result, a tropical storm warning remains in effect for all of northeast South Carolina, along with a high surf advisory for all beaches, NWS reports said.
Rough surf and strong rip currents will remain through the end of the week, according to the forecast.
Wind gusts of up to 40 mph are forecast starting Thursday night into Friday morning, with rainfall expected to be between 1 to 3 inches over that same time period.
This story was originally published September 26, 2024 at 9:43 AM.
