Weather

September has been a dry month across the entire Southeastern United States, including South Carolina.

MONDAY 5 PM UPDATE: Karen has been downgraded to a tropical depression, according to the 5 pm advisory from the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane hunters found a broad low-level area of low pressure, but the former tropical storm lacked a well-defined center and wind speeds have been reduced to 35 mph or less.
 

Jerry is now a hurricane, making it the fourth of the 2019 season. And chances are increasing that it will not be a threat to the United States.

Hurricane Jerry has become significantly better organized over the past 24 hours, according to an update from the National Hurricane Center at 11 am Thursday. The category 1 storm had maximum sustained winds up to 75 miles per hour, and it was moving west-northwest at 16 mph.

Wednesday morning update:  Tropical Storm Imelda came ashore in southeast Texas Tuesday evening, but will continue to produce heavy rain and possible flooding as a remnant tropical low through the day Wednesday.  Tropical Depression Ten intensified overnight and became the season's tenth named storm, Tropical Storm Jerry.  

The original story, as published Tuesday afternoon, continues below.

The season’s eighth named tropical storm was classified by the National Hurricane Center late Friday night, but it is no longer a direct threat to South Carolina.

Hurricane hunters then found that the tropical storm had strengthened Saturday morning, and it now has winds up to 50 mph. Strong upper-level winds from the southwest were limiting the tropical storm’s ability to become better organized. However, those winds are expected to weaken Sunday when forecasters say Tropical Storm Humberto will be poised for intensification.

Update Friday 5 pm: The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Depression Nine has formed, located 240 miles east-southeast of Freeport, Grand Bahama Island.  A center of circulation was noted on the eastern side of a broad area of low pressure, based on satellite and hurricane hunter data.  The more eastward placement of that center prompted forecasters to make a significant adjustment to the forecast track for the soon-to-be tropical storm, which is now more than 100 miles from the coast of South Carolina early next week.

UPDATE THURSDAY 5 PM: The National Hurricane Center began issuing advisories on what they call Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine (or “PTC Nine”). This nomenclature is used when a system is likely to produce tropical storm conditions near land - in this case, the Bahamas - but has yet to be officially classified as a tropical storm.

Charleston city officials say they're ready for whatever Hurricane Dorian brings our way.  But what about the people who decided to stay? 

Many were still checking out the winds and waves along the historic city's battery wall late Wednesday, just hours before the storm's anticpated arrival.  An evacuation order for the entire coast has been in place since Monday.

“I want Charleston to be a ghost town," said Mayor John Tecklenburg Wednesday afternoon, as he tried again to get people to leave.

11 PM Update: The eyewall of Hurricane Dorian is now parallel to the North Carolina coastline. Moderate to heavy rain is still falling over the Pee Dee and will eventually taper off early Friday morning. As of the latest information from the National Hurricane Center, Dorian is holding on as a category 2 hurricane. Maximum winds are still 100 mph and pressure has fallen to 958 mb. Storm motion has picked up just a bit and is now to the NE at 13 mph.   The center of the eye is about 35 miles southeast of Wilmington NC.

Updated 1:20 pm Wednesday:  Maximum sustained winds are still at 105mph, but Dorian could flucuate in intensity over the Gulf Stream. The latest measurement of minimum central pressure is still at 963 mb and the storm is moving NNW at 9 mph, according to the Tuesday 11 am update from the National Hurricane Center.

WATCHES AND WARNINGS

HURRICANE WARNING in effect for Beaufort, Berkeley, Georgetown and Horry counties.

A significant change in the weather pattern that is steering Dorian is increasing the risk of at least some effects from the powerful hurricane in South Carolina later next week.

The storm continues as a powerful category 4 hurricane. Seasonably warm ocean temperatures and light wind shear — both of which are normally needed for intense hurricanes — are expected to fuel the storm for several more days.

Dorian become a Major Hurricane Friday afternoon, strengthening to category 3 status with winds up to 115 mph.

The season’s second hurricane will likely intensify further, potentially into a Category 4 storm, prior to landfall with the Florida Peninsula.

As of 5 PM, Hurricane Warnings have been issued by the government of the Bahamas for the northwestern parts of the archipelago.

Dorian strengthened to a category 2 storm Thursday night and forecasters say it’s expected to become a powerful category 4 hurricane this weekend as it draws closer to Florida.

The government of the Bahamas issued a Hurricane Watch for the northwestern Bahamas in advance of the hurricane’s arrival there Sunday and Sunday night.

Hurricane Dorian has strengthened late Wednesday night. As of 5 am, The National Hurricane Center says Dorian is about 150 miles north of San Juan, Puerto Rico and has top sustained winds near 85 mph. It is moving toward the northwest at about 13 mph.

Multiple reports of hurricane-force winds occurred near St. Thomas, as Dorian crossed the Virgin Islands Wednesday afternoon.

Tropical Storm Dorian has strengthened overnight as it steadily approaches Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. There is still uncertainty in the future path and intensity of the storm, but trends in the computer models are toward a stronger storm as it approaches the Southeast U.S. coastline Sunday or Monday.