Rain, tornado threat from Tropical Storm Helene continues through Friday morning

UPDATE 8:33 AM — All tornado warnings have expired.

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UPDATE 8:23 AM — A tornado warning for Georgetown County is in effect until 8:45 a.m.

A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located at 8:14 a.m. near DeBordieu Colony, moving north at 55 mph.

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UPDATE 8:09 AM — A tornado warning for Georgetown County has been extended through 8:30 a.m.

A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located at 7:37 near Santee Coastal Reserve, moving north at 60 mph.

Warnings in Berkeley and Charleston counties have been canceled.

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UPDATE 7:27 AM — Portions of Berkeley and Charleston counties are under a tornado warning until 8 a.m.

A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 9 miles northwest of McClellanville at 7:25 a.m., moving north at 35 mph.

Locations impacted include Newland and Shulerville.

Western Georgetown and southeastern Williamsburg County are also under a tornado warning until 8 a.m.

VIPIR radar indicated a possible tornado near Lambert, which is about 14 miles north of McClellanville.

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UPDATE 7:02 AM — A tornado warning was issued for northeastern Georgetown County and eastern Williamsburg County until 7:30 a.m.

A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Plantersville, or 8 miles northwest of Pawleys Island at 6:58 a.m. It is moving north at 60 mph.

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UPDATE 6:37 AM — A tornado warning is in effect for Georgetown County until 7 a.m.

A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Winyah Bay Entrance at 6:34 a.m., moving north at 60 mph.

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UPDATE 6:18 AM — A tornado warning is in effect for Berkeley and Charleston counties until 6:45 a.m.

A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Isle of Palms at 6:16 a.m. It is moving north at 60 mph.

Locations impacted include Mount Pleasant, Isle Of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Awendaw, Mount Pleasant Regional Airport, Boone Hall Plantation, Cainhoy, Wando, Mount Pleasant Towne Centre and Sullivans Island.

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UPDATE 6:13 AM — A flash flood warning is in effect for Berkeley and Charleston counties until 11:45 a.m. heavy rain enters the area.

Pockets of heavy rain coupled with ongoing high tide will produce an increased risk of flash flooding around the Charleston metropolitan area, according to the National Weather Service.

Impacts are expected to be greatest in downtown Charleston, but Folly Beach, James Island, West Ashley, North Charleston, and Mount Pleasant could also see significant flooding.

Forecasts said up to 2 inches per hour is possible through the mid to late morning.

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UPDATE 5:59 AM — A tornado warning is in effect for southwestern Georgetown County and southeastern Williamsburg County until 6:30 a.m.

A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Hampton Plantation State Park at 5:54 a.m., moving north at 60 mph.

Locations impacted include Sampit, Andrews, and Warsaw.

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UPDATE 5:51 AM — Tornado warnings are in effect for portions of Berkeley and Charleston counties.

A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over McClellanville at 5:47 a.m., moving north at 60 mph. The warning is in effect until 6:15 a.m.

Another storm capable of producing a tornado was located 6 miles north of Sangaree at 5:50 a.m., moving north at 60 mph. The warning is in effect until 6:30 a.m.

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UPDATE 5:37 AM — The tornado warning for Charleston County has been canceled.

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UPDATE 5:32 AM — The tornado warning has expired in Berkeley and Dorchester counties.

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UPDATE 5:20 AM — A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Seabrook Island at 5:18 a.m., moving north at 55 mph.

A tornado warning is in effect until 5:45 a.m.

Locations impacted include Johns Island, West Ashley, Hollywood, Ravenel, Seabrook Island, Kiawah Island, Meggett, Wadmalaw Island, Angel Oak Park and Rantowles.

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UPDATE 5:09 AM — A tornado warning has been issued for portions of Berkeley and Dorchester counties until 6 a.m.

A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located at 5:08 a.m. near Ridgeville, moving north at 70 mph.

Locations impacted include Summerville, Dorchester, Ridgeville, Harleyville, Jedburg, Pringletown, Francis Beidler Forest, Spring Hill, Sandridge and Ebenezer.

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UPDATE 5:00 AM — Helene has weakened to a tropical storm as it moves inland over Georgia, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Maximum sustained winds are 70 mph with higher gusts. Continued weakening is expected.

The storm is moving north at around 30 mph. It is expected to turn toward the north Friday morning with the center moving over central and northeastern Georgia.

It is then expected to turn northwestward and slow down over the Tennessee Valley on Friday afternoon and Saturday.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect across the Lowcountry.

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UPDATE 4:56 AM — A tornado warning has been issued for Charleston County near Capers Inlet until 5:30 a.m.

A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located at 4:53 a.m., moving north at 70 mph.

Impacted locations include Mount Pleasant, Isle Of Palms, Awendaw, Capers Inlet, Garris Landing, Mount Pleasant Regional Airport, Price Inlet, and Whitehall.

The tornado warning for Dorchester County was also extended until 5:30 a.m.

Colleton County Fire-Rescue has reported numerous downed trees on roadways.

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UPDATE 4:39 AM — A tornado warning has been issued for lower Charleston County near Rockville until 5 a.m.

A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located at 4:36 a.m., moving north at 75 mph.

Locations impacted include Edisto Beach, Johns Island, Hollywood, Ravenel, Seabrook Island, Meggett, Rockville, Bears Bluff, Yonges Island and Adams Run.

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UPDATE 4:32 AM — Parts of Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties are under a tornado warning until 5:15 a.m.

A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Summerville at 4:30 a.m., moving north at 60 mph.

Locations impacted include North Charleston, Summerville, Ladson, Ridgeville, Jedburg, Knightsville, Sangaree, Lincolnville, New Hope and Lotts Crossroads.

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UPDATE 4:30 AM — The tornado warning for Charleston County has expired.

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UPDATE 4:12 AM — The tornado warning for Colleton County has been canceled.

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UPDATE 4:03 AM — A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Seabrook Island at 4 a.m., moving north at 65 mph.

A warning is in effect until 4:30 a.m.

Locations impacted include Johns Island, Hollywood, Ravenel, Seabrook Island, Kiawah Island, Meggett, Rockville, Yonges Island, Bears Bluff, and Wadmalaw Island.

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UPDATE 3:45 AM — A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 7 miles southeast of Kiawah Island at 3:42 a.m., moving north at 70 mph.

A tornado warning is in effect for portions of Charleston County until 4:30 a.m.

Locations impacted include North Charleston, Johns Island, West Ashley, James Island, Hollywood, Folly Beach, Ravenel, Kiawah Island, Meggett, and Maybank Bridge.

The warning area includes I-526 between mile markers 11 and 15 and near mile marker 17.

Portions of Colleton County are also under a tornado warning until 4:15 a.m.

Locations impacted include Walterboro, Round O, Ritter, Canadys, Green Pond, Ashepoo, Thayer, Lowcountry Regional Airport, Drawdy, Colleton Medical Center, and I-95 in South Carolina between mile markers 55 and 69.

A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Ashepoo, moving north at 65 mph at 3:48 a.m.

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UPDATE 3:27 AM — A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located at 3:19 a.m. near Fripp Island, moving north at 70 mph.

A tornado warning is in effect for portions of Colleton County until 4 a.m.

Locations impacted include Bennetts Point, Ashepoo, Green Pond, Fripp Island, White Hall, Wiggins, Chisolm Point, Coosaw Island, Sams Point, and Eddings Point.

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UPDATE 2:55 AM — A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Edisto Beach at 2:53 a.m., moving north at 65 mph.

A tornado warning is in effect for portions of Charleston and Colleton counties until 3:30 a.m.

Locations impacted include Edisto Beach, Meggett, Adams Run, Edisto Island, Jacksonboro, Fenwick, Parkers Ferry, and Edisto Beach State Park.

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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- Hurricane Helene will continue to bring pockets of heavy rain, gusty winds, and a tornado threat to the Lowcountry through Friday morning as it tracks across the southeastern U.S.

Helene made landfall as a powerful Category 4 storm in Florida’s Big Bend region around 11:10 p.m. on Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

It had maximum stained winds of 140 mph and was moving north-northeast at 24 mph. \

Forecasters said the storm is expected to turn toward the north overnight, taking the center over Georgia. It is then expected to turn northwestward and slow down as it moves over the Tennessee Valley into Saturday.

A tropical storm warning is in effect across the Lowcountry. Bands of showers and thunderstorms will continue to roll in off of the Atlantic Ocean over the next several hours and another 1-2″ of rain is possible.

Wind speeds could range from 25-35 mph with gusts to 60 mph throughout the Charleston area into Friday morning.

“[The storm] is going to move into Georgia and once it does it’s going to pull more rain bands our way,” Storm Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Rob Fowler said. “It looks like it’s going to be a very busy overnight for us as we still see some strong thunderstorms and any of these could produce a tornado or what could be a tornado.”

A tornado watch has been extended for much of South Carolina through 8 a.m. Friday.

Flooding has already prompted multiple road closures in downtown Charleston. City leaders implemented the mayor’s flood mitigation plan in anticipation of flooding from heavy rainfall and high tide.

The next high tide will be at 4:36 a.m., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

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