With the Fourth of July weekend on the horizon and a hurricane brewing off the coast, many people are worried that their vacation and celebration plans will be ruined.
Heres what you need to know about Tropical Storm Arthur, how it could develop into a hurricane, and what that means for Edisto.
As of July 3, Tropical Storm Arthur has yet to achieve hurricane strength, although officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predict that it will reach hurricane status by Thursday. In fact, hurricane watches and warnings are already in place for many portions of the Carolinas.
At this point, the hurricane watch for Edisto Beach means that there is a high surf advisory and rip current risk in effect through Thursday night. This means that breaking waves could reach heights of six to eight feet and cause dangerous swimming conditions.
In addition, rip currents at this time are very strong and present life-threatening situations for anyone caught in one. If you find yourself caught in a rip current at any time, remember to swim parallel to shore to break the grip of the current. Once free from the grip, swim back to shore.
The National Weather Service has advised all swimmers to stay out of the water due to the dangerous conditions. As always, remember to stay away from and off of the groins that line Edisto Beach as these areas could become swamped with the high surf and/or large, breaking waves.
Boaters should also use extreme caution.
The high surf and rip current conditions should end by Friday, but remember to practice good safety while visiting Edisto Beach.
As for the tropical storm, hopefully it fizzles out as it moves northward along the coast. If it continues to strengthen, officials with the National Weather Service predict that it will become a hurricane and could make landfall in North Carolina late Thursday evening. By Friday, winds of a northerly jet stream should move the storm away from the shore and off the coast of New England by Saturday.
Overall, the weather for the Fourth of July weekend should be hot and steamy with plenty of sunshine.
