Beaufort County upgraded to tropical storm warning as Nicole nears hurricane status
In the early hours Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service upgraded Beaufort County to a tropical storm warning as Tropical Storm Nicole is expected to strengthen and slam Florida’s east coast in the late evening.
A tropical storm warning means the event is expected rather than possible, and tropical storm-force winds will happen within the area in the next 36 hours. The county was put under the warning at about 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Nicole, anticipated to become a Category 1 hurricane, was about 240 miles east of West Palm Beach, Florida, and had sustained winds of 70 mph at 7 a.m. Wednesday. Meteorologists say, once the storm crosses the Florida peninsula, whatever is left of the system is expected to take a sharp turn northeast and move across Georgia.
South Carolina’s coastal areas, including Beaufort County, will bear the residual brunt.
A 5 a.m. NWS weather briefing didn’t include much change for the county since Tuesday afternoon, holding that coastal flooding, beach erosion and dangerous surf conditions remain the greatest concern for coastal residents.
Under the tropical storm warning, there is the potential for winds between 39 and 57 mph, according to the service. However, locally, peak wind is forecast to be 25-35 mph with gusts to 45 mph. The main threat for high winds begins Wednesday and will last through Friday, said Ron Morales, a meteorologist with the Charleston NWS office.
In an increase from what was anticipated Tuesday, storm surge has the potential to be 2 to 4 feet above ground in areas of the county that are surge prone, with the highest threat beginning Wednesday through Friday. Beaufort County remains under a storm surge watch that was triggered Tuesday afternoon.
Morales noted there’s a potential for flooding rain in the county, which will be affected by high tides. Slightly lower than Tuesday’s prediction, the area is projected to get between 2 and 3 inches of rain through Saturday. Thursday poses the highest flooding threat, with the morning’s high tide expected to reach about 8.6 feet at 10 a.m., according to marineweather.net.
The threat for tornadoes increased overnight, rising to a “potential for several,” Morales said. The earliest possible time for isolated tornadoes would begin Thursday and continue to threaten the area through Friday.
Beaufort County is also under a high surf advisory until Saturday, meaning large breaking waves up to 6 feet are expected in the surf zone. Inexperienced swimmers should stay out of the water, the NWS advised.
This story was originally published November 9, 2022 at 8:36 AM.
