‘Not a good day to get in the water’: Thunderstorm, wind advisories issued in Beaufort Co.
A cold front making its way to the Lowcountry has the potential to cause severe thunderstorms and southerly wind gusts whipping up to 45 mph, weather forecasters said Thursday.
The Beaufort County area could see the showers and high winds between 2 p.m. and lasting through 8 p.m., meteorologist Brittany MacNamara said. The wind advisory is in effect from until 6 p.m.
A concurrent high surf advisory, with waves breaking around 4-to-7 feet, and high rip current risk are in effect through 8 p.m.
Simply put: “It’s not a good day to get in the water,” MacNamara said.
“Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water,” an advisory said.
If caught in a rip current, the National Weather Service urges people to relax and float. Don’t swim against the current, the center warns. If a person is able to swim, it should be in a direction following the shoreline.
According to the National Weather Service, the potential severe thunderstorm could bring isolated damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph. Hilton Head Island has a projected 90% chance of rain, with a quarter to a half-inch accumulation.
Non-thunderstorm winds will be strongest near the coast, especially across bridges elevated over water. MacNamara suggested people pull in outside items, including plants, to ensure they’re not blown away.
Strong winds have the potential to inflict consequential damage to trees, mobile homes, roofs and cars. They can also cause widespread power outages.
The National Weather Service’s advisory noted an isolated tornado and hail cannot be ruled out, however, the center said the threat is more likely in southeast Georgia.
South Carolina’s weather advisories come a day after severe weather, including tornadoes, swept across Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi and Tennessee.
This story was originally published March 31, 2022 at 10:21 AM.
