Tropical Storm Ernesto officially formed in the Atlantic Monday afternoon, but so far, it should not pose a problem for South Carolina, forecasters say.
The National Hurricane Center forecast from late Monday afternoon shows Ernesto in the central tropical Atlantic Ocean and moving west toward the Caribbean. The fast-moving system is bringing with it heavy rain that may cause significant flooding in Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands by late Tuesday. Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect for that entire area.
Currently, the storm is not expected to come to South Carolina. According to the NHC, the storm will turn northward once it reaches Puerto Rico and will continue on into the Atlantic, missing the U.S. mainland completely.
The forecast comes as welcome news for the Palmetto State, parts of which are still drying out from the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Debby last week.
Unlike Ernesto, Debby reached the Gulf, then turned northward and crossed through Florida, Georgia and into South Carolina. The slow-moving storm dropped several inches of rain across large parts of the state, flooding roads, rivers and yards from Charleston to the Pee Dee region.
