Date Published: June 13, 2006   

Forecasters: Tropical Storm Alberto to skirt S.C.

The Associated Press

Tropical storm warnings have been issued for southeastern portions of the South Carolina coast in advance of Tropical Storm Alberto's expected trip through eastern South Carolina.

Also, a flood watch has been issued for several counties in the southern portion of the Midlands.

Alberto began to weaken overnight, but was still expected to strike northern Florida as a tropical storm around midday Tuesday.

Heavy rain and some small tornadoes could move across eastern South Carolina as Alberto moves onshore.

The center of the tropical storm, bearing down on the north Florida coast from the Gulf of Mexico early Tuesday, is expected to move through south Georgia and into South Carolina, roughly following Interstate 95 late Tuesday night and Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

But the worst of the weather will likely be well ahead of the storm, moving into the extreme southern part of the state late Tuesday morning, spreading northward as the day goes on.

The tropical storm warning applies to Colleton, Beaufort and Charleston counties.

The flood watch goes into effect at noon Tuesday and expires Wednesday morning in the following counties: Aiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Clarendon, Edgefield, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland and Sumter.

About three to five inches of ran is possible across the area, according to the National Weather Service. But the weather service has said flooding should not be a widespread problem since much of the area has been abnormally dry this year.

The steadiest rains and winds up to 30 mph shouldn't start until the afternoon in the Lowcountry and the evening in the Pee Dee, forecasters said.

"The winds in the system are not expected to be that powerful because as it travels into South Carolina, it'll be weakening. However, as the system crosses the area, the likelihood for small tornadoes to touch down is quite high," said Tom Matheson a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Wilmington, N.C., which covers the Pee Dee.

If the rain moves in early enough, it could lower voter turnout for Tuesday's primaries, Winthrop University political science professor Scott Huffmon said.

And that unusually low voter turnout could affect some races. "Every vote really counts when turnout is depressed like this," Huffmon said.

The rain and storms should become more scattered west of I-95. There is a 50 percent chance of rain Tuesday and a 60 percent chance of rain Tuesday night in Columbia, while no rain is expected in the Upstate, according to the weather service.