The first bands of Hurricane Helene began to move into Orangeburg, Calhoun and Bamberg counties on Thursday, dropping flooding rains and prompting several tornado warnings.

Significant flooding was reported throughout Bamberg County, including on U.S. Highway 301, Tractor Road and Half Moon Road near Bamberg. Middle Place Road near Govan Road was also closed due to flooding.

About 2.73 inches of rain fell at the Orangeburg Municipal Airport through 5 p.m. Thursday.

A pedestrian walks through the flood waters covering the sidewalk near the Holiday Motel in Bamberg on Thursday afternoon. 

Flash flood warnings were issued throughout the day.

Tornado warnings were also issued throughout the early morning and early afternoon hours in Bamberg County near Bamberg and Ehrhardt and in Orangeburg County near Cope and Edisto Memorial Gardens.

All the tornadoes were spotted on radar, but haven’t yet been confirmed on the ground.

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There were no significant reports of damage in Bamberg, Orangeburg or Calhoun counties through 5 p.m. Thursday.

The National Weather Service did report some wind damage in Bamberg County where Cannon Bridge Road meets both Heritage Road and Charleston-Augusta Road.

The NWS could not confirm Thursday if the local damage was due to tornadoes.

Cars make their way through a flooded portion of U.S. Highway 301 in Bamberg on Thursday afternoon. 

Tornado damage is typically assessed by survey teams after a storm with the extent of the damage being used to determine whether a storm was a tornado and its strength.

There were no damage reports in Orangeburg or Calhoun counties through Thursday afternoon.

Thursday saw some minor and scattered power outages in the area.

About 384 Dominion Energy customers were without power in Bamberg County shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday.

Earlier Thursday, about 101 Dominion Energy customers in Orangeburg County and 29 Tri-County Electric Cooperative customers in Calhoun County were without power.

The Orangeburg, Calhoun and Bamberg county school districts took measures due to Helene. Bamberg County dismissed early Thursday and Orangeburg and Calhoun county schools all cancelled after-school activities Thursday.

This video contains the National Weather Service’s collection of slides on Hurricane Helene’s potential impact on Bamberg, Calhoun and Orangeburg counties.

All three districts were going to eLearning on Friday.

Thursday was just a foretaste of what was expected to come overnight.

The heaviest impacts of Helene were expected to be felt Friday morning beginning at about midnight and lasting through 9 a.m.

Winds were forecast to pick up overnight, gusting to about 60 mph in the Orangeburg area.

There is a 47 percent chance of maximum winds in Orangeburg reaching just over 60 mph, though the peak wind gust forecast for Orangeburg is expected to be about 57 mph shortly before sunrise on Friday.

Western portions of Orangeburg, Calhoun and Bamberg counties are expected to see higher winds and heavier rains.

The risk for tornadoes in the three-county area remains enhanced through the night.

An additional two inches to four inches of rain is forecast to fall through the night.

The North Fork of the Edisto River is expected to remain below flood stage but the Congaree River at Carolina Eastman is forecast to crest at about 125.6 feet, which is considered major flooding.

At the forecast level, extensive farmland and lowland flooding will occur south of Columbia to Lake Marion and water reaches the top of some dikes at the Carolina Eastman facility.

The South Carolina Emergency Management Division and the National Weather Service offers some tips when dealing with high winds, the possibility of tornados and flooding.

Take shelter

• Immediately go inside a sturdy building during a high wind warning or severe thunderstorm warning and move to an interior room or basement.

• If you are in a mobile home, move to a sturdy building before the winds pick up or the storm system reaches your location.

• Listen to the local news or NOAA Weather Radio for updates.

If caught outside or driving

• Take shelter in your car if you are not near a sturdy building. If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building. Otherwise, move your car to a location where it is less likely to be hit by falling trees or power lines.

  • If no shelter is available, avoid trees, power lines and the side of the road. Keep in mind that power lines that are laying on the ground may be live. Do not go near them. Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.
  • If you are driving and aren’t near a sturdy building, hold the steering wheel with both hands and slow down.
  • Keep a distance from high-profile vehicles such as trucks, buses and vehicles towing trailers. One strong gust of wind can be enough to flip one of these trailers onto its side.
  • Be alert to changing weather conditions.
  • Listen to NOAA weather radio or to commercial radio or television newscasts for the latest information.

During a tornado

  • Home: Get indoors to a pre-designated shelter area such as a basement, storm cellar or the lowest building level.

If there is no basement, go to the center of an interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior hallway) away from corners, windows, doors and outside walls.

  • Vehicle, trailer, mobile home: Get out immediately and go to the lowest floor of a sturdy, nearby building or storm shelter.

If unable to get indoors, lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands. Be aware of potential flooding and flying debris.

Never try to outrun a tornado in your vehicle. Instead, leave the vehicle immediately for safe shelters.

  • Do not drive through flooded areas. Do not ever try to drive around or move barricades that are blocking a street.
  • Stay away from floodwaters. Beware of snakes, insects and other animals that may be in or around floodwaters and your home.
  • Keep children and pets away from hazardous sites and floodwaters.
  • If power lines are down, don’t step in puddles or standing water.
  • Individuals should stay away from downed power lines.

Contact the writer: gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5551. Check out Zaleski on Twitter at @ZaleskiTD.

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