(Columbia-AP) Aug. 12, 2004 - Hurricane
Charley and Tropical Storm Bonnie still appear
headed to South Carolina. State officials say they are
monitoring both storms. The National Weather Service has
issued a flash flood watch for 30 South Carolina
counties in the Midlands and Upstate. Storm
Team Hurricane Center - National Hurricane
Center
Tropical Storm Bonnie (29.5 N, 85.2 W) began
coming ashore in Florida's panhandle
Thursday morning between Panama City and
Apalachicola. It is expected to then head toward hitting
Macon, Georgia, around 8:00pm Thursday. That track would
put the remnants of Bonnie in the heart of
the Midlands around 2:00am Friday before it
accelerates up the Eastern Seaboard.
Storm Team Chief Meteorologist is now predicting a
gap between the time Bonnie moves out of South Carolina
and the time Hurricane Charley (currently at 19.7 N,
81.2 W) is expected to move along eastern South
Carolina on Saturday morning.
At 11:00am the poorly defined center of Tropical
Storm Bonnie was located 20 miles southwest of
Apalachicola. Bonnie is moving northeast at 28
miles an hour. Highest winds are 50 miles an hour.
Tropical storm force winds extend out 70 miles from
center. Storm surge flooding of one to three feet above
normal tide is expected near and to the east of where
the center makes landfall. Forecasters also look for
"large and battering waves" along the coast near the
center of the system.
Rainfall amounts of four to six inches are expected
in an already soaked area. There's also the chance of
some isolated tornadoes.
Storm Team Chief Meteorologist Ken Aucoin says South
Carolina faces those same risks, "What that's going to
do for us is give us some heavy rain, some strong gusty
winds and the possibility of tornadoes as this system
comes on through," especially just before it reaches the
area Thursday afternoon and evening.
"Oftentimes when hurricane or tropical storms come in
from the Gulf of Mexico it makes for ideal conditions,"
for tornadoes across the Carolinas Ken
says.
Forecasters are dropping all hurricane watches and
warnings for the Florida Panhandle on
Thursday morning as Bonnie doesn't appear to have
the power to reach hurricane strength before landfall.
A tropical storm warning remains in effect from
Destin, Florida, to the mouth of the Suwannee River. At
10:00am the tropical storm warning to the west of Destin
was discontinued.
updated 11:01am by Chris
Rees
