Rain, wind herald Florence’s approach in Midlands

Listen to this article

As an 11 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center called for more of the same, slow westward crawl from Tropical Storm Florence across eastern South Carolina, rain pelted areas of the Midlands and occasional wind gusts stirred debris and branches littering downtown streets this morning.

State officials said the first fataility in South Carolina attributable to Florence occurred in Union County Friday night. 

The National Hurricane Center continued to warn of the possibility of flash flooding from the slow-moving system, dumping heavy rain as it poked along at 2 mph.

As of 2 p.m., Florence, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, had picked up its pace slightly to 3 mph.  A storm surge warning remained in effect from Myrtle Beach, S.C., to Ocracoke Inlet, N.C., and for the Pamlico Sound, including the Pamlico and Neuse rivers. A tropical storm warning stretched from South Santee River, S.C., to Cape Lookout, N.C.

S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster said this afternoon Amber Dawn Lee, 61, died after her vehicle struck a downed tree. During a briefing on the storm, McMaster also said that all state offices and schools in counties except Horry and Georgetown will be open Monday. Evacuation orders remain in effecct for evaucation zones in those counties, McMaster said, and school closures there will be determined by local officials.

National Weather Service meteorologist John Quagliariello said Florence, a tropical storm with sustained maximum winds of 40 mph, was moving west across the state at 3 mph. A wind gust of 61 mph was recorded at Myrtle Beach International Airport, Quagliariello said.

Quagliariello warned that up to 10 inches of rain were still possible in Rock Hill, Florence, Myrtle Beach and areas to the northeast.