Tropical Storm Idalia continues to have maximum sustained winds of 60 mph as it moves across the Carolinas, according to the National Hurricane Center early Thursday morning.
The center of the storm is now about 20 miles southwest of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and is moving northeast at 21 mph. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles from the center.
“Little change in strength is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Idalia is expected to remain a tropical storm when if moves off the coast,” warns the hurricane center.
South Carolina, Georgia and Florida were each heavily impacted by precipitation as Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in the Big Bend region near the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday morning.
According to updated storm totals compiled from the Weather Prediction Center, the town of Hampton, South Carolina, received 9.61 inches of rainfall as of early Thursday, while Clearwater Beach, Florida, recorded 9.40 inches. Newton, Georgia, in the southwestern part of the state recorded 9.31 inches of rainfall.
Tropical-storm-force winds will continue to affect portions of the southeastern US coast through Thursday. Florida’s Perry-Foley Airport reported high winds of up to 85 mph recorded during the storm, and Valdosta Regional Airport in southern Georgia reported winds of up to 67 mph.
The storm surge and tropical storm warnings south of South Santee River, South Carolina, have been discontinued. A tropical storm warning remains in effect for South Santee River northward to the North Carolina/Virginia border, including Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds.
A storm surge watch is in effect for Beaufort Inlet to Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina, as well as the Neuse and Pamlico rivers.
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