At 6:02 a.m. the National Weather Service out of Charleston, South Carolina issued a Tornado Watch to last until 1 p.m. for 12 southeast Georgia and eight South Carolina counties.
The Southeast Georgia counties include Bryan, Bulloch, Candler, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Jenkins, Liberty, Long, Mcintosh, Screven and Tattnall.
Impacted South Carolina counties include Allendale, Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton and Jasper.
Additionally, the service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook concerning severe thunderstorms for the greater southeast Georgia and southeast South Carolina area. The outlook is in effect through tonight.
NWS states that a Tornado Watch indicates “tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area.” Residents in areas under a watch are encouraged to asses emergency plans and take inventory of supplies.
A Tornado Warning is when a tornado “has been sighted or indicated by weather radar.”
The public can check NWS for updates on the watch or sign up for emergency alerts from the Chatham Emergency Management Agency to receive regular updates.