Tornado watch update for Beaufort County: Almost 150 were without power after storms
On the final day of Hilton Head's RBC Heritage presented by Boeing, thunderstorms marched through the Lowcountry.
South Carolina Electric & Gas reported 149 outages on Lady's Island around 7 p.m. caused by one incident, according to the company's online outage map. The cause was confirmed to be the thunderstorms, and the power was restored around 7:30 p.m.
A tornado watch was canceled for Beaufort County shortly before 7 p.m., about an hour after it was extended from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
A wind advisory was in effect until 6 p.m. and a moderate risk for rip currents was in effect until 8 p.m.
According to the National Weather Service in Charleston, a strong cold front moved into the area Sunday afternoon and evening, along with a line of storms that was expected to bring isolated tornadoes, heavy rainfall that could produce flooding and frequent cloud to ground lightning.
"Conditions are becoming increasingly favorable" for severe thunderstorms in the Lowcountry this afternoon, the service said Sunday.
In Beaufort County and coastal Jasper and Colleton counties, wind gusts could reach 40 mph throughout the afternoon and evening. Those came along with steady south winds at 20 to 30 mph which "will make travel difficult, especially for high profile vehicles and on elevated surfaces such as bridges and overpasses," according to the service. "Lightweight objects such as trash cans and lawn furniture will also be blown around."
The expected heavy downpours and gusty winds could result in downed trees and power lines across the Lowcountry, NWS meteorologists said Sunday.
A moderate risk for rip currents is in effect until 8 p.m. The risk of flooding increases around high tide at 8:42 p.m. this evening.
The risk for severe weather forced RBC Heritage presented by Boeing, a PGA Tour tournament, to move up tee times. The event that brings 100,000 people to Sea Pines every year. The event concluded earlier than usual this year, ahead of the storms.
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This story was originally published April 15, 2018 at 11:36 AM with the headline "Tornado watch update for Beaufort County: Almost 150 were without power after storms."