We continue to watch Tropical Depression Claudette’s circulation move through northern Georgia into the Upstate and Midlands of South Carolina this afternoon. NHC’s last fix at 2PM had it roughly around Athens, GA, heading east at 17 MPH. So far, a few spots have seen some brief rainfall, but we have been largely within a dry slot surrounding the inner bands of the circulation. Indeed, it appears that moisture inflow may have been disrupted in part due to vigorous thunderstorms along the Gulf Coast — a common occurrence for choking off more widespread rainfall in our neck of the woods. However, we continue to watch a decent rain band stretching from roughly Mt. Vernon, GA up toward Augusta. This band is steadily making eastward progress, and satellite data suggests it could be becoming a little more vigorous as it moves eastward into a more unstable atmosphere.

A blend of timing tools and model guidance puts this rain band in the Charleston Tri-County area roughly in the 4-6 PM timeframe. It will undoubtedly bring the greatest risk for very heavy rainfall, with models suggesting 1-2″ of rain will be common. 3″+ cannot be ruled out in some spots, either, and wherever this heaviest rain falls could be in line for flooding issues.

High tide is at 4:55 PM. Right now, it appears that the heaviest rain will arrive about an hour or two afterward, but trends will need close monitoring. I would still be prepared for flooding this evening in downtown Charleston.

We’ve had gusty winds in the area thanks to a strong low-level jet — a gust to 32 MPH was recently recorded at Charleston International Airport. Guidance suggests the core of the low-level jet looks to move atop the SC coastline around the time the rain band is moving in, so that could increase the risk for a damaging wind gust or two. This strengthening low-level jet will also assist in creating favorable conditions for a tornado or two, so we’ll want to monitor these trends as we go throughout the day.

Stay weather aware — more updates here and on Twitter as needed.