Live updates: Midlands prepares for more flooding, possible tornadoes as Helene looms

The Midlands began to feel the effects of Hurricane Helene on Thursday as the storm made its way toward an evening landfall along the Gulf Coast of Florida as a category 4.

Flooding has been reported in multiple locations in Columbia and throughout the state as rain began to pound the region, and local authorities were bracing for further impacts, including the threat of possible tornadoes.

Columbia and the Midlands could see 10 inches of rain by Friday, weather officials said.

Here’s the latest:

Helene increases to category 4

Helene has increased to a category 4 hurricane ahead of its anticipated Thursday evening landfall in Florida and expected threats to the Columbia area from the storm have also increased, Frank Alsheimer with the Columbia office of the National Weather Service said during a 6:30 p.m. briefing.

Wind gusts in the Midlands could exceed 60 mph overnight, possibly reaching 70 mph in some locations.

Winds are expected to be stronger to the west, with top gusts of 51 mph forecast for Columbia and top gusts of 60 forecast for Lexington, both expected to come between 3 and 6 a.m.

The increased strength of the storm as it skirts the Columbia area will also increase the risk of tornadoes, with Alsheimer adding that seeing one or two strong tornadoes is now possible in the wee hours of Friday morning.

Alsheimer noted that tornadoes are more dangerous at night due to limited visibility and difficulty receiving warnings. He encouraged residents to bring their phones to bed to be better able to receive weather alerts.

“This evening, for us, we’re expecting sustained winds reaching tropical storm force,” he said. “We’re getting close to hurricane-force gusts.”

Flooding will continue to be an issue as heavy rains are anticipated to return Thursday night into Friday, with 2-4 more inches of rain anticipated overnight.

The immediate impacts of the storm are expected to end by Friday afternoon, but river flooding will continue to be an issue after the storm has passed.

“We do expect all our rivers to reach some flooding during the next few days,” Alsheimer said. “Even when the storm lets up, we have flooding that we’ll be concerned about along our rivers for several days.”

Flooding continues in Forest Acres, as Forest Drive has been closed where it crosses over the now very swollen Gills Creek.

Columbia officials ask residents to ‘not be on the streets tonight’

Columbia officials are bracing for more flooding and more sever impacts as Helene turns closer to the city than initially anticipated, they said at a late-afternoon press briefing Thursday.

While he anticipated a brief reprieve from the day’s steady and heavy rain heading into the evening, Columbia Emergency Management Director Harry Tinsley said the course of the storm has shifted to bring it through the Atlanta area, putting Columbia 200 miles away on the upper right-hand quadrant.

“And that’s not the best place to be,” Tinsley said, noting the city has seen 7 inches of rain fall downtown and a good 3-4 in most other areas, with another 2-4 anticipated to fall through the night.

The Columbia office of the National Weather Service also sees cause for concern, noting that “additional rainfall expected of 2-4” in the western portion of the forecast area could lead to flash flooding developing, especially overnight.” Columbia sits on the fringe of that portion.

The release from the office also notes that tropical-storm-force wind gusts are likely for the area, with gusts as high as 58 mph anticipated in the wee hours of Friday morning.

“Get your family checked, your family, your friends, your neighbors, get off the streets,” Tinsley said. “We need you to not be on the streets tonight. We do have a risk of some tornado activity. Nocturnal activity for tornadoes is not good. We want you to be home.”

Flooding continues to impact the area

Forest Acres reports flooding between the Coplon’s Women’s Boutique and Schiono’s Old Time Pizza Restaurant off Forest Drive with a red Volvo halfway submerged there and reports that a woman had to be rescued from the car.

The city also reports Covenant Road has flooded, with Eight Mile Branch having crested onto the roadway, and Atascadero Road near Timmerman School is also closed due to flooding.

Columbia City Manager Teresa Wilson said the city is looking into reports of flooding at nearby Lake Katherine.

The city later reported a sanitary sewer overflow on Stevenson Avenue, explaining that “extended wet weather appears to have caused this overflow,” and another sanitary sewer overflow on Bluff Road that entered Reeder Point Branch Creek.

Columbia Public Works Director Robert Anderson said the closures due to flooding of the Blossom Street Bridge and portions of Whaley Street and Main Street will remain for the rest of the evening.

Richland County posted a list of streets to avoid due to “excessive flooding”:

• Alexander Pointe Drive, Hopkins

• Old Ferry Road, Eastover

• Sandmyrtle Circle, Columbia

• 7340 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia

• 2023 Haverford Circle, Columbia

• 400 Powell Road, Columbia

• 200 Hillvale Drive, Columbia

• Prestley Drive, Columbia

• Birchton Court and Hallbrook Drive, Columbia

• 228 Oakley Drive, Columbia

• Clamp Road, Blythewood

• 10513 Two Notch Road, Elgin

“We’ve been thankful that the Five Points area that’s typically been an area at times that floods, I don’t want to speak it into reality, but we’ve been good with that so far today,” Wilson said. “Whaley and Main is always an issue. We were a little bit surprised about Blossom, but we think there’s some other reasons with that lot of construction going on down there right now, and then some of the areas like Lake Katherine, we’re going to be attending to here shortly, but we haven’t heard of any others so far.”

Columbia officials cautioned residents not to go near downed power lines or driver or walk through standing water.

“You don’t know if there’s a manhole cover off when you walk through that water,” Anderson said. “And if you can’t see it, if you fall in that manhole, who knows where you’re going to come out at?”

Flooding gnarls downtown intersections

Columbia’s police and fire departments are cautioning drivers to reroute around flooding downtown.

Severe flooding along Blossom Street, near the Huger Street intersection and the bridge that connects across the Congaree River to Cayce, has police rerouting westbound traffic to Gervais Street .

In addition, the S.C. Department of Transportation has announced that the Blossom Street Bridge is closed due to flooding.

“SCDOT is working to reopen the road and asks that the public slow down and pay attention when driving near the area,” the department said in a release. “Drivers can expect traffic delays as cleanup efforts continue.”

The Columbia-Richland Fire Department reports that the intersection of Main and Whaley streets is flooded out . The city had previously noted this as an area likely to flood.

“The City of Columbia has temporarily closed portions of Whaley St. and Main St. due to the significant amount of rain accumulated and forecasted today,” the city said in a release. “The portion of Whaley St. that is closed is located between Assembly St. and Sumter St. The portion of Main St. that is closed is located between Catawba St. and Whaley St.”

The fire department also had to rescue a driver who stalled out in waters along flooded Key Road near Williams-Brice Stadium earlier in the day.

Columbia lists the following intersections as also being likely to flood:

• Gervais and Laurens
• Blossom and Henderson
• Blossom and Saluda
• Harden and Santee
• Monroe and Maple
• Two Notch and Read
• Wheat and Amherst
• Adger and Devine
• Wheat and Sumter
• Wheat and Pickens
• Heyward and Ravenel
• Pickens between Wheat and Green
• Barnwell and Pendleton
• Harden and Read
• Harden and Calhoun
• Franklin and Marion
• Franklin and Sumter
• Columbia College and N. Main
• Bull and Laurel

Richland County closes government offices

Richland County announced that it will close its government offices to the public Friday “because of the increased threat of inclement weather caused by Hurricane Helene.”

“The County urges residents to prepare now, stay alert, and avoid any unnecessary travel,” it added in a release.

“The County’s Solid Waste and Recycling (SW&R) facilities are also closed to the public Friday, and residents should expect delays in curbside pickup. SW&R facilities will reopen Saturday.”

The county said the impacts may stretch beyond flooding.

“Residents should expect high winds, heavy rain and the threat of tornadic activity throughout the day and into Thursday night, with the greatest risk between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. Friday,” it said in the release. “Deteriorating conditions also are likely to increase the possibility of flash flooding and downed trees and power lines. Residents are reminded to remain vigilant and monitor local forecasts.”

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