Beaufort Co. now under hurricane, storm surge watches as Hurricane Dorian stands still
As Hurricane Dorian stalls over the Bahamian Islands, The National Hurricane Center issued hurricane and storm surge watches for Beaufort and Jasper counties during a 5 p.m. update Monday.
The watches extended northward from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, to the South Santee River, which is north of Charleston.
A hurricane watch is typically issued 48 hours before tropical storm-force winds are anticipated. Tropical storm winds start at 40 mph. The winds can make outside preparations difficult or dangerous, the National Weather Service says.
The update also says the coastal Carolinas could see 5 to 10 inches of rain, with isolated areas seeing up to 15 inches.
Storm surge watch means there is a possibility of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the coastline during the next 48 hours.
The center predicts storm surge could be between 4 to 7 feet from Lantana, Florida, to South Santee River if the peak surges happen at high tides.
The high tide times are as follows:
Tuesday: 12:14 p.m.
Wednesday: 12:29 a.m. and 1:11 p.m.
Thursday: 1:25 a.m. and 2:09 p.m
Friday: 2:21 a.m. and 3:05 p.m.
The threat of storm surge — an abnormal amount of water generated by an incoming storm — will peak midday Wednesday.
The worst-case scenario for current forecasts could place one-third of Hilton Head Island under 2 feet of water, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
The weather service predicts severe beach erosion and significant dune loss.
The “king tide,” or astronomical tide, peaked last week, according to the weather service. Coastal flooding will mostly be due to normal tides.
