FLORENCE – The final track of Hurricane Dorian is still uncertain, but as things stood Monday, the Pee Dee is forecast to get wind and rain as the storm works its way up the coast.
The Monday evening forecast track has the storm in the Pee Dee between 8 p.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Florence is forecast to receive approximately 3.5 inches of rain, and Darlington is forecast to get 2.8 inches. There will be less rain inland and more rain closer to the coast, according to the briefing.
The chance of tropical-storm-force winds for the Pee Dee is back to 10% to 20%. That’s down from the Monday morning forecast of 30% to 40% for most of the Pee Dee, with higher chances closer to the coast, according to the briefing.
The winds could develop as early as Wednesday morning.
"Uncertainty exists with the long-term track of the storm as any minor adjustment could significantly adjust the level of impact the area experiences," Reid Hawkins, science and operations officer with the National Weather Service office in Wilmington, wrote in the Monday morning briefing on the storm.
Florence County Emergency Management Division moved to OPCON 2 at 8 a.m. Monday – a heightened state of awareness.
There is the increasing potential for flooding rain, storm surge and possible tornadoes starting Wednesday and running through Thursday, according to the briefing.
On Sunday, Gov. Henry McMaster ordered a mandatory evacuation of the coast.
The order went into effect at noon Monday. State troopers reversed lanes so people can all head inland on major evacuation routes.
Authorities say the order covers approximately 830,000 people, many of whom will be evacuating for the fourth time in four years.
McMaster says he knows some people won't be happy having to leave their home. But, he said, "we believe we can keep everyone alive."
FLORENCE – The final track of Hurricane Dorian is still uncertain, but as things stood Monday, the Pee Dee is forecast to get wind and rain as the storm works its way up the coast.
The Monday evening forecast track has the storm in the Pee Dee between 8 p.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Florence is forecast to receive approximately 3.5 inches of rain, and Darlington is forecast to get 2.8 inches. There will be less rain inland and more rain closer to the coast, according to the briefing.
The chance of tropical-storm-force winds for the Pee Dee is back to 10% to 20%. That’s down from the Monday morning forecast of 30% to 40% for most of the Pee Dee, with higher chances closer to the coast, according to the briefing
The winds could develop as early as Wednesday morning.
"Uncertainty exists with the long-term track of the storm as any minor adjustment could significantly adjust the level of impact the area experiences," Reid Hawkins, science and operations officer with the National Weather Service office in Wilmington, wrote in the Monday morning briefing on the storm.
There is the increasing potential for flooding rain, storm surge and possible tornadoes starting Wednesday and running through Thursday, according to the briefing.
On Sunday, Gov. Henry McMaster ordered a mandatory evacuation of the coast.
On Sunday, Gov. Henry McMaster ordered a mandatory evacuation of the coast.
The order went into effect at noon Monday. State troopers reversed lanes so people can all head inland on major evacuation routes.
Authorities say the order covers approximately 830,000 people, many of whom will be evacuating for the fourth time in four years.
McMaster says he knows some people won't be happy having to leave their home. But, he said, "we believe we can keep everyone alive."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
