Storms usher in tornado threat

The rain and thundershowers from Tuesday night will keep falling today, with a chance of tornadoes. By the weekend, a tropical storm or hurricane could be in the Bahamas, where it would hit a fork in the road.

"It can cut across Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico, or it can start to re-curve and affect the Southeast coast," said Tom Kines, meteorologist for AccuWeather.com, a private forecasting company. The Post and Courier is an AccuWeather.com customer. His gut feeling? "The stronger this storm gets, the more of a chance it's going to take a turn (toward the Southeast)."

So much for summer porch weather.

After a hurricane hunter aircraft flight Tuesday into the tropical wave in the Atlantic Ocean off the Lesser Antilles, the National Hurricane Center gave the storm a good chance of developing into to a tropical depression by Thursday and plans to send a second flight to take a look today.

Meanwhile, the Charleston area is expected to be drenched with an inch or two of rain by the time the clouds have cleared out Thursday, said forecasters for the National Weather Service and AccuWeather.com. Winds will be strong enough that a gale warning is in effect for coastal waters.

"We definitely have a risk of isolated tornadoes," said meteorologist Rich Thacker, with the National Weather Service, Charleston. The biggest threat will be from mid-morning through the afternoon.

"There's a chance (of tornadoes)," Kines said. "It looks like more of a case where heavy rain is a threat."

The entire state will see at least some rainfall, although less rain in the drought-plagued Upstate. Gov. Mark Sanford and state Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers are scheduled to take a look today at conditions in Pickens, in the Upstate foothills. They might ask for federal disaster relief to help cattle and horse owners.

Sanford hasn't decided on a disaster declaration, he said Tuesday, pointing out that the tropical storm season could bring more rain than the state could handle.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. Reach Bo Petersen at bpetersen@post andcourier.com or 745-5852.