Friday, September 2, 2016

1 Reportedly Missing in South Carolina as Hermine Treks Up Atlantic Coast

Ada Carr
Published: September 2,2016
After clobbering the Gulf Coast of Florida, Hermine has left at least one reportedly person missing as it tracks through the Southeast, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia.
In Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, officials are still searching for a surfer who went missing Friday after being knocked down by a wave.
(MORE: Track Hermine as It Moves Up the Coast)
Tens of thousands were without power Friday in southern Georgia as trees and power lines were downed by the storm's strong winds. A possible tornado associated with the storm also damaged several structures in the Savannah area.
Here's the latest from all four states.

Georgia

At least eight counties across Georgia reported damage associated with the storm, WFXL.com reported.
A possible tornado spawned by Hermine downed trees and damaged 10 to 15 structures in Chatham County early Friday morning, according to the county's Emergency Management Agency.
(MORE: Send Us Your Photos From Hermine)
Kris Allred @WSAVKrisA
Possible Tornado Damage on Skidaway Island, @WSAV

First responders found damage to trees and structures in the upscale community located on Skidaway Island in east Savannah, but nobody was injured, according to the Associated Press.
In Valdosta, 84-year-old Melvin Gatlin Sr. said he was jarred awake by a pine tree that came crashing down onto his property, scraping his house with enough force that water was seeping in.
"I thought somebody had shot me, the way it sounded," he told the AP.
Gatlin's daughter, Rosa Norwood, said in an interview with the AP that she's grateful her father wasn't hurt.
(MORE: Hermine Expected to Impact Northeast Coast)
Georgia Power reported more than 100,000 lost power in the state Friday. Most of the outages were in southern Georgia, in cities like Valdosta and Savannah.
Tree and power line damage forced the Georgia Department of Transportation to close a stretch of U.S. Highway 41 in Lowndes County, and in Mitchell County, State Route 270 was closed because of storm damage and a car accident, the AP also reported.
The Red Cross opened five shelters in South Georgia so residents had a place to stay Thursday night, according to the Savannah Morning News.
So far, no injuries or deaths have been reported in Georgia from the storm.
(MORE: Gulf of Mexico Hurricane Drought Was Longest in 130 Years)
On Thursday, several colleges and universities canceled classes ahead of Hermine. These closures impacted Georgia Southern University, Valdosta State University, Albany State University and Darton State College, according to the Macon Telegraph.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for 56 counties before the storm even reached the state to activate the necessary emergency resources to respond to Hermine's impacts.

South Carolina

Friday emergency crews responded to reports of a surfer who was knocked down by a wave in Murrells Inlet and has yet to resurface, WMBF News reports. The surfer went missing at 1690 N. Waccamaw Drive shortly before 5 p.m.
Parts of South Carolina, especially the Lowcountry, experienced heavy rainfall and strong winds associated with Hermine, leaving thousands without power Friday. But Emergency Management Division spokesman Derrec Becker told the AP that there was no major damage reported, and a state of emergency was not declared by Gov. Nikki Haley.
Still, Friday classes were canceled at the Citadel and the College of Charleston, and NASCAR canceled qualifying for the Sprint Cup and Xfinity races at Darlington Raceway, the report added.
In Charleston, where some roads were reportedly flooded, Mayor John Tecklenburg told reporters that the city distributed 3,000 sandbags ahead of the storm, the AP also said.
More than 30,000 were without power Friday, according to multiple energy companies. For a complete list of road closures, check the WCSC-TV website.

North Carolina

Officials ordered all residents and visitors to leave Ocracoke Island on Friday due to expected impacts from Hermine.
“Anyone who chooses to stay on Ocracoke for Tropical System named Hermine, does so at their own risk and should be prepared to sustain themselves for several days in the event of flooding, downed trees, and/or loss of power,” officials said in a release obtained by WAVY.com.
(MORE: Residents Told to Prepare for Impacts in New York City and on Jersey Shore)
Ferries would help carry people back and forth between the Outer Banks island and the mainland until it was no longer safe to do so, the report added.
13News Now ✔ @13NewsNow
is upon us! Check out this photo a viewer sent of flooding in Kill Devil Hills. Send photos:

Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency for 33 counties in eastern North Carolina.
A few thousand Duke Energy customers were without power Friday across the state.

Virginia

Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency Friday as the tropical storm began to impact the commonwealth, according to the Virginian-Pilot.
“We are strongly encouraging everyone in Virginia to prepare for the possibility of damaging winds, downed trees, power outages and flooding in much of the Commonwealth,” McAuliffe said in a news release. "I urge Virginians to limit travel as the severe weather arrives and evacuate if recommended by officials."
In Portsmouth, Deputy Fire Chief Jim Hoffler is encouraging residents to use the free city-owned parking garages over the weekend to park their vehicles on higher ground, WAVY.com reports. The garages will be open and free until 8 a.m. Tuesday.
Old Dominion and Norfolk State universities postponed Saturday football home openers because of the storm, according to the AP.
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