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Hermine Moves Through Georgia Into South Carolina After Florida Landfall

Wall Street Journal

- ‎3 hours ago‎

After battering part of Florida's Gulf Coast, Tropical Storm Hermine moved northeast through Georgia into South Carolina, threatening to wallop the coastal areas of the Carolinas and mid-Atlantic states.

Tropical Storm Hermine moves into Carolinas, heavy rain forecastCNN

After Battering Florida and Georgia, Hermine Threatens Mid-AtlanticNPR

In Depth:After slamming Florida, Hermine threatens East CoastFox News

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Hermine Moves Through Georgia Into South Carolina After Florida Landfall

Heavy rain, ocean surges threaten coastal areas of Carolinas and mid-Atlantic states

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Cameron McWhirter

Updated Sept. 2, 2016 8:43 p.m. ET

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After battering part of Florida’s Gulf Coast, Tropical Storm Hermine moved northeast through Georgia into South Carolina, threatening to wallop the coastal areas of the Carolinas and mid-Atlantic states.
The storm’s center was about 35 miles southwest of Myrtle Beach, S.C., as of 8 p.m. Friday, with wind as high as 50 miles per hour and heavy rain, according to the National Weather Service. The storm was expected to move across coastal North Carolina on Friday night and into Saturday morning, and move off the North Carolina coast by Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

Hurricane Hermine Hits Florida, Weakens to Tropical Storm

The hurricane made landfall early Friday before weakening to a tropical storm as it crossed into southern Georgia

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A young man and his dog wade in the storm surge outside Cooter Stew Cafe in St. Marks, Fla. Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images

Lynne Garrett speaks to loved ones on the phone Friday as she surveys damage outside of her Steinhatchee, Fla., home from the winds and storm surge associated with Hurricane ...

A street in Cedar Key, Fla., is blocked from debris washed up from the hurricane’s tidal surge. Hurricane Hermine was downgraded to a tropical storm after it crossed into southern Georgia. The National Weather Service warned Friday that Hermine “could reinvigorate” once it reaches open water again, likely sometime Saturday off North Carolina’s Outer Banks. John Raoux/Associated Press

People walk pass debris and boats scattered across the road after Hurricane Hermine passed through Steinhatchee, Fla. Matt Stamey/The Gainesville Sun/Associated Press

A pine tree fell through a Tallahassee, Fla., home following wind and rain damage from Hurricane Hermine. Philip Sears/Reuters

Part of a sea wall in Cedar Key, Fla., collapsed following damage from Hurricane Hermine. John Raoux/Associated Press

Connor Sidman and his mother, Peggy Sidman, get hit by a wave as they stand on the railing of Memorial Park in Jacksonville, Fla., on Friday. Bob Self/The Florida Times-Union/Associated Press

Shawn Stephenson, left, and Marshall Dimick clear water from a real estate office in Cedar Key, Fla., that was flooded by Hurricane Hermine. John Raoux/Associated Press

A resident of St. Marks, Fla., surveys damage around his home. Brian Blanco/Getty Images

Residents check the damage to a boat in their Shell Point Beach, Fla., neighborhood following Hurricane Hermine. Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images

A man backs up his vehicle after trying to pass though floodwaters in Steinhatchee, Fla. Matt Stamey/Associated Press

Ava McNally protects her face from blowing sand while walking to the beach Friday in Tybee Island, Ga. Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press

A young man and his dog wade in the storm surge outside Cooter Stew Cafe in St. Marks, Fla. Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images

Lynne Garrett speaks to loved ones on the phone Friday as she surveys damage outside of her Steinhatchee, Fla., home from the winds and storm surge associated with Hurricane Hermine. Brian Blanco/Getty Images

Although it weakened after striking landfall in Florida early Friday, the National Weather Service warned Friday that Hermine “could reinvigorate” once it reaches open water again.
About 44,000 customers in South Carolina were without power, according to the state Emergency Management Division. The state delivered 1,000 sandbags to Darlington County in central South Carolina, and shelters were on standby but were empty as of late Friday afternoon. Pawleys Island, S.C., police posted a tweet Friday afternoon warning residents to expect roadways to flood during the next high tide, which was expected at about 9:50 p.m. Friday.
North Carolina officials prepared for the storm by staging rescue boats, high-water trucks, Humvee military trucks and state National Guard members in eastern counties susceptible to flooding, said Mike Sprayberry, director of the N.C. Division of Emergency Management. Duke Energy, which provides power to most of the state, has also lined up about 150 workers in central North Carolina in case of outages.

ENLARGE

A boy and his dog wade in the storm surge from Hurricane Hermine in St. Marks, Fla., on Thursday. Photo: Getty Images

“We want this thing to move in and out as quickly as possible with as little damage as possible,” said North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, who added that he was encouraged by forecasts that showed a weakened Hermine. He said his goal is to be “over-prepared and underwhelmed.”
Dave Smith, who works at Hurricane Jack’s Marine LLC, a boat parts consignment shop in Bridgeton, N.C., in the path of the storm, said workers brought down some canvas sails in anticipation of the storm, but not much else. They tracked the storm as it grew weaker, and expected that is wouldn’t have much impact on their area, he said.
“It’s nothing but a rainstorm,” he said. “Good weather for ducks.” He did expect a 3-foot rise on the Neuse River next to Bridgeton, and flooding of some areas from rain, he said.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency for his state on Friday, and activated the National Guard to provide help if needed to local governments as they clear roads, restore electricity and repair other damage. The Maryland Emergency Management Agency also made preparations for the storm, warning residents of the state’s Eastern Shore to watch the storm’s progress.
In Georgia, roughly 125,000 utility customers in Georgia lost power in the storm. Crystal Buchanan, spokeswoman for the Georgia Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency, said she expected many of them to regain power quickly as work crews repaired the damage to power lines.
In Florida, a homeless man was killed in Marion County, northwest of Orlando, during the storm when a tree fell on him, Gov. Rick Scott said at a press conference. The county coroner was determining if the death was storm-related, the governor said.

Storm Tracker

The projected 5-day path of Hurricane Hermine

VT.

N.H.

N.Y.

Boston

CONN.

PA.

New York

Philadelphia

1 p.m. Tuesday

N.J.

MD.

1 p.m. Monday

VA.

1 p.m. Sunday

Norfolk

1 p.m. Saturday

Raleigh

N.C.

Columbia

1 a.m. Saturday

S.C.

GA.

1 p.m. Friday

Tallahassee

1 a.m. Friday

4 p.m. Thursday

Atlantic Ocean

FLA.

Gulf of

Mexico

Path of storm

Projected path

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center

ENLARGE

With Hurricane Hermine bearing down, police blocked the road entering Cedar Key, Fla., on Thursday. Photo: John Raoux/Associated Press

With the storm clean up under way in Florida, Gov. Scott urged people to spill out any standing water on their property to reduce breeding by mosquitoes and possible spread of Zika, a mosquito-borne virus that can cause birth defects if it infects pregnant women. Health officials recently discovered local transmission of Zika by mosquitoes in the Miami area. They were the first known cases of local transmission by mosquitoes in the continental U.S.

—Valerie Bauerlein contributed to this article.

Write to Cameron McWhirter at cameron.mcwhirter@wsj.com

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