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Residents of the Columbia area should not underestimate the potential impacts of Hurricane Michael, local authorities warned Wednesday afternoon, hours before the scheduled start of the storm.
People might be tempted to suffer from "hurricane fatigue" after the much-feared hurricane Florence spared the Midlands a few weeks ago, said Mayor Steve Benjamin. But Hurricane Michael should be taken seriously, he said.
"We are still gravely concerned," said Benjamin. "It's a massive storm. … The Midlands were particularly lucky with Hurricane Florence. We do not want people to believe that this is a non-event. It's a big deal and we will prepare accordingly. "
According to forecasters, Hurricane Michael could affect parts of South Carolina, including the Columbia region, more strongly than Hurricane Florence.
The strength of tropical storms is the main concern Thursday in the South Midlands of South Carolina. Rain could also fall in the area.
The storm landed as a Category 4 hurricane Wednesday afternoon along the panhandle of Florida. It should mitigate under the effect of a tropical storm before reaching South Carolina.
A tropical storm warning came into effect in the Columbia area shortly after 5 am Wednesday. Public schools in Richland County and Lexington all announced Wednesday afternoon closed Thursday.
The Colombian authorities were preparing Wednesday by cleaning up the storm sewers and protective barriers in flood prone areas, including the Five Points intersections and Whaley and Main streets.
Garbage collection in the city will be suspended Thursday and resume Friday.
This type of storm should not have serious consequences on the level of the rivers and the river, announced the municipality Wednesday.
Police and firefighters plan to hire additional staff during the storm.
In the face of the expected strong winds, officials warned that fallen trees and power lines would be likely. People who see tree branches in the streets should not attempt to remove them immediately, as they could be connected to live power lines, said Robert Anderson, the city's director of public works.
Residents should instead call the city's Emergency Hotline at (803) 545-3300 to report trees felled and other non-emergency issues. In case of emergency, always call 911.
Residents in the Columbia area can expect to feel the effects of the storm wind around 4 am Thursday, said Mike Proud, a meteorologist with the Columbia National Weather Service. Sustained winds will blow around 30 mph with steady bursts of 40 or 45 mph, Proud said. Occasional bursts of up to 50 mph are possible.
The winds will go out between 11:00 and 13:00. Thursday, which, according to pride, will be the eye of the storm that moves. The storm is expected to move rapidly in the area and winds are expected to begin to dissipate around 20:00. Thursday, said proud.
As the storm moves to the northeast, it will accelerate, creating a tornado risk, Proud said. The most at risk zone will be along the corridor between Augusta, Columbia and Cheraw, and anything east of it will be slightly riskier, Proud said.
"They expect some tornado watches to come up late Thursday night before this threat," Proud said Wednesday, referring to the storm forecasting center.
Staff Writer Teddy Kulmala contributed to the reports.
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