Forecasters expressed concern Thursday that the most significant impacts from the remnants of Hurricane Helene as it passes through the Savannah area and South Carolina Lowcountry likely will be felt after dark.
“Nighttime tornadoes can be particularly hazardous as people are sleeping, don’t get the warning, or don’t hear the warning, and you can’t see, so there’s a psychological effect to these as well,” warned Ron Morales, a meteorologist in the Charleston office of the National Weather Service .
In addition to potential tornadoes, wind gusts as high as 60 mph are possible in and around Savannah, and across the state line in Beaufort County.
“In coastal areas of Georgia and South Carolina, as you get that open exposure of wind coming from the water toward the land, there’s no friction, or much less friction, and the wind speeds are quite high,” Morales explained.
The highest winds are expected at around 2 a.m. Friday.
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