Flash Flood Watch as T.S. Bertha Moves Inland

The tropical disturbance with a 20% chance of development has done just that. Tropical Storm Bertha became better organized off of the South Carolina coast this morning. Tropical Storm force gusts were measured from the Charleston National Weather Service office, leading to the quick categorization. This storm will weaken rapidly as it continues to move inland. However, flash flooding remains the main threat to our region today. 1-3″ of rainfall will be possible. This on top of the heavy rain last week, means it won’t take much for flooding to occur. As of 11 am, a Flash Flood Watch only includes areas east of 77. As with any tropical system, areas located ~100 mi right of center (or east of Charlotte as the remnants will move over the city early Thu AM) run the highest risk of quick spin-ups. The Storm Prediction Center has issued a marginal risk for severe weather (1 out 5) for parts of Chesterfield, Anson, and all of Richmond Counties for that reason. The threat is low for now, but it will be an area that should be watched. The storm will move out of the region by midnight with a cloudy night ahead. Conditions will remain unsettled into the weekend with a few thunderstorms possible as temps warm back into the low to mid 80s. A cold front on Saturday will bring the return of dry and sunny conditions.

Today: Flash Flood Watch. High:72 Wind: NE 10-12; G20

Tonight: Showers End. Low: 65 Wind: NE 5-7 mph

Thu: Chance Storms. High: 82 Wind: S 5  mph

Thu PM: Showers/Storms. Low: 70 Wind: SE 3-5 mph