stormwatch

Get help soon in Berkeley County

Berkeley County Emergency Preparedness Director Jason Patno said residents who need assistance should call 719-4800 as soon as possible.

"They need to seek shelter before we start to feel those effects, otherwise make preparations to shelter in place," Patno said.

As of 11: 30 a.m., no problems have been reported in Berkeley, Patno said.

There are no power outages, he said. "The weather right now is little a little overcast, but the winds are not
blowing and it's not raining," Patno said.

Charleston School Announcement

Charleston County Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson will make an announcement at 2 p.m. about whether Charleston schools will be open Thursday.

Ernesto at 11 p.m.

The National Weather Service says a hurricane watch remains in effect from north of Altamaha Sound to Cape Fear, N.C., but the 11 p.m. advisory shows that the track has shifted to the east.

Over the past several hours, Ernesto has been moving toward the North-Northwest at near 8 MPH...13 KM/HR.  A turn to the north with an increase in forward speed is expected over the next 24 hours.

How much strengthening occurs after Ernest emerges into the Atlantic depends on how much of a storm is left. The GFDL model still wants to make Ernesto a hurricane in the Atlantic. Out of respect for the model, the official intensity for a Carolina's landfall is only reduced slightly.

There are no significant changes to the current forecast track or intensity of Ernesto.

An inland tropical storm watch remains in effect of Dorchester and Berkeley Counties and residents there should keep an eye out for rain and thunderstorms. 

Maximum winds are near 45 mph with higher gusts. Some weakening is expected later as the system moves inland. There remains a slight chance that Ernesto could strengthen to a hurricane on Thursday as it approaches the Carolina coast. 

Boaters on Lake Moultrie can expect extremely dangerous conditions on the lake Wednesday night through Thursday night.

Trident United Way 211

Trident United Way’s 211 Hotline will provide information before, during and after a storm. The hotline is staffed 24 hours a day with employees and volunteers, who will be working from the Charleston County Emergency Operations Center if Tropical Storm Ernesto poses a threat to the
Lowcountry.

The 211 workers will provide details on open shelters and available services for food, water and mental health services. They also are there for those who are scared or worried and need someone to talk to, which is one of the hotline’s primary missions.
For information, call 211 from a land line or 744-HELP (4357) from a cell phone.