Tropical Storm Tammy, which came ashore in North Florida on Wednesday, is a careful-what-you-wish-for weather system.

The rainfall, which started Wednesday and is forecast to continue through Friday, is a blessing for parched central South Carolina.

But Tammy also brings the possibility for tornadoes throughout the state, and flash flooding and tropical force winds along the coast, according to the National Weather Service.

Gusts of 45 mph or higher were reported Wednesday afternoon in downtown Charleston, Folly Beach and Edisto Beach, felling some trees and power lines and causing localized flooding. Tammy is forecast to remain well below hurricane strength of 74 mph and weaken today as its center moves inland in Georgia.

In this incredibly active and costly hurricane season, Tammy actually could prove beneficial for central South Carolina. The rain Wednesday ended a streak of 35 rain-free days at Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

Most of the rivers in the center of the state and the interior Pee Dee were running below 10 percent of their typical levels before Tammy came calling. Up to five inches of rain is forecast along the coast, and some areas in the Midlands could get three inches.

“Considering how dry it is, we could use the rain,” said meteorologist Chris Liscensky of the National Weather Service office in Columbia.

But there’s always the potential for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, state climatologist Hope Mizzell warned. South Carolina will be in the northeast section of the system, which often is the most active section.

The rainfall is forecast to end by early Saturday at the latest, meaning most weekend events shouldn’t be affected. And you might even need to break out the sweat shirts this weekend. A cold front will push the lows into the low 50s.

Reach Holleman at (803) 771-8366 or jholleman@thestate.com.