Hurricane Melissa intensifying off coast. Will Myrtle Beach area be affected?
Hurricane Melissa has rapidly intensified into a Category 4 storm in the Atlantic, but how will it impact the Myrtle Beach area is still unknown.
As the storm churns off the coast, moving north across Jamaica and later on toward Bermuda, it will stay many miles away from Grand Strand shores, according to the National Weather Service forecasts.
However, the Myrtle Beach area is likely to see a heightened rip current risk associated with the hurricane, as well as unrelated showers throughout the week.
Melissa may cause longer-period swells in Myrtle Beach area waters and enhance rip current possibilities, meteorologist Mark Bacon said. As of Sunday morning, the storm was too far out to tell exactly when rip current risks would be elevated, according to Bacon.
He estimated that the risk may be highest next weekend, since the storm isn’t projected to pass by Bermuda until Friday. This will be the storm’s closest point to Myrtle Beach, Bacon explained, though it will still be hundreds of miles away.
Melissa is expected to strengthen some as it moves northward, possibly hovering between a Category 4 and 5 storm, Bacon said. But despite its strength, its distance from the Grand Strand will prevent direct impacts.
The Myrtle Beach area will see some rain from other systems moving through the area this week, including showers late Sunday through Monday from a system moving in from the west, Bacon said.
Another western system will bring additional showers on Thursday.
