Last Updated on March 27, 2025 6:27 pm
Hurricane Helene Local Statement Advisory Number 9National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC AL0920241135 AM EDT Wed Sep 25 2024
This product covers the western Carolinas and NE Georgia
…HELENE TO BRING SIGNIFICANT FLASH FLOODING AND STRONG WINDGUSTS TO THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA…
NEW INFORMATION—————
* CHANGES TO WATCHES AND WARNINGS:– A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for Abbeville, Anderson,Avery, Buncombe, Burke Mountains, Caldwell Mountains, CentralGreenville, Cherokee, Cleveland, Eastern McDowell, EasternPolk, Elbert, Franklin, Graham, Greater Burke, GreaterCaldwell, Greater Oconee, Greater Pickens, Greater Rutherford,Greenville Mountains, Greenwood, Habersham, Hart, Haywood,Henderson, Laurens, Macon, Madison, McDowell Mountains,Mitchell, Northern Jackson, Northern Spartanburg, OconeeMountains, Pickens Mountains, Polk Mountains, Rabun, RutherfordMountains, Southern Greenville, Southern Jackson, SouthernSpartanburg, Stephens, Swain, Transylvania, Union SC, and Yancey
* CURRENT WATCHES AND WARNINGS:– A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Abbeville, Anderson,Avery, Buncombe, Burke Mountains, Caldwell Mountains, CentralGreenville, Cherokee, Cleveland, Eastern McDowell, EasternPolk, Elbert, Franklin, Graham, Greater Burke, GreaterCaldwell, Greater Oconee, Greater Pickens, Greater Rutherford,Greenville Mountains, Greenwood, Habersham, Hart, Haywood,Henderson, Laurens, Macon, Madison, McDowell Mountains,Mitchell, Northern Jackson, Northern Spartanburg, OconeeMountains, Pickens Mountains, Polk Mountains, Rabun, RutherfordMountains, Southern Greenville, Southern Jackson, SouthernSpartanburg, Stephens, Swain, Transylvania, Union SC, and Yancey
* STORM INFORMATION:– About 950 miles south-southwest of Greenville/Spartanburg SC orabout 990 miles south-southwest of Asheville NC– 21.6N 86.3W– Storm Intensity 80 mph– Movement North-northwest or 330 degrees at 10 mph
SITUATION OVERVIEW——————
Tropical Storm Helene is expected to make landfall over the FloridaPanhandle Thursday evening and race north into Georgia and the westernCarolinas. Significant flash flooding and mainstem flooding is likelyThursday into early Friday, especially along the Blue RidgeEscarpment. 40-50 MPH wind gusts will be associated with Helene as thestorm tracks just west of the County Warning Area Thursday night intoFriday morning. The combination of saturated soils and strong windgusts will result in numerous trees down, leading to numerous poweroutages. Numerous landslides may occur across the mountains, with acouple of large, damaging debris flows/slope failures. An isolatedtornado or two can't be ruled out during this event as well.
POTENTIAL IMPACTS—————–
* FLOODING RAIN:Prepare for life-threatening rainfall flooding having possibledevastating impacts across the North Carolina mountains, northeastGeorgia, and Upstate South Carolina. Potential impacts include:– Extreme rainfall flooding may prompt numerous evacuations andrescues.– Rivers and tributaries may overwhelmingly overflow their banksin many places with deep moving water. Small streams, creeks,canals, arroyos, and ditches may become raging rivers. Inmountain areas, deadly runoff may rage down valleys whileincreasing susceptibility to rockslides and mudslides. Floodcontrol systems and barriers may become stressed.– Flood waters can enter numerous structures within multiplecommunities, some structures becoming uninhabitable or washedaway. Numerous places where flood waters may cover escape routes.Streets and parking lots become rivers of raging water withunderpasses submerged. Driving conditions become very dangerous.Numerous road and bridge closures with some weakened or washedout.
* WIND:Prepare for hazardous wind having significant impacts across the NorthCarolina mountains, northeast Georgia, and Upstate South Carolina.Potential impacts in this area include:– Damage to porches, awnings, carports, sheds, and unanchoredmobile homes. Unsecured lightweight objects blown about.– Many large tree limbs broken off. A few trees snapped oruprooted, but with greater numbers in places where trees areshallow rooted. Some fences and roadway signs blown over.– A few roads impassable from debris, particularly within urban orheavily wooded places. Hazardous driving conditions on bridgesand other elevated roadways.– Scattered power and communications outages.
Elsewhere across the western Carolinas and NE Georgia, little to noimpact is anticipated.
* TORNADOES:Prepare for a tornado event having possible limited impacts across thewestern Carolinas and northeast Georgia. Potential impacts include:– The occurrence of isolated tornadoes can hinder the executionof emergency plans during tropical events.– A few places may experience tornado damage, along with powerand communications disruptions.– Locations could realize roofs peeled off buildings, chimneystoppled, mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned,large tree tops and branches snapped off, shallow-rooted treesknocked over, moving vehicles blown off roads, and small boatspulled from moorings.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS———————————-
* OTHER PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION:
Now is the time to check your emergency plan and emergency supplieskit and take necessary actions to protect your family and secure yourhome or business.
When making safety and preparedness decisions, do not focus on theexact forecast track since hazards such as flooding rain, damagingwind gusts, storm surge, and tornadoes extend well away from thecenter of the storm.
If you live in a place particularly vulnerable to flooding, such asnear the ocean or a large inland lake, in a low-lying or poordrainage area, in a valley, or near an already swollen river, plan tomove to safe shelter on higher ground.
* ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION:– For information on appropriate preparations see ready.gov– For information on creating an emergency plan see getagameplan.org– For additional disaster preparedness information see redcross.org
NEXT UPDATE———–
The next local statement will be issued by the National WeatherService in Greenville-Spartanburg SC around 5 PM EDT, or sooner ifconditions warrant.
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