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An updated weather alert was issued by the NWS Columbia SC on Saturday at 6:47 p.m. for strong thunderstorms until 7:30 p.m. The alert is for Northwestern Orangeburg, Central Orangeburg and Southeastern Orangeburg as well as Lexington, Aiken, Sumter, Barnwell, Calhoun, Clarendon and Bamberg counties.
The storms are packing nickel-sized hail (0.88 inches) and wind gusts of up to 55 mph.
"At 6:45 p.m., Doppler radar tracked strong thunderstorms along a line extending from near Augusta GA, to near Springfield, to near Orangeburg, to near Summerton. Movement was south at 30 mph," states the NWS. "Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible."
Locations impacted by the alert include Aiken, North Augusta, Orangeburg, Grovetown, Evans, Thomson, Waynesboro, Barnwell, Manning, Bamberg, Denmark, Fort Gordon, Augusta, Clearwater, Brookdale, Savannah River Site, Aiken Mall, Plant Vogtle, Belvedere and Martinez. This includes the following highways: Interstate 20 in Georgia between mile markers 187 and 201. Interstate 26 between mile markers 134 and 169. Interstate 520 in Georgia between mile markers 1 and 15. Interstate 520 in South Carolina between mile markers 16 and 21. Interstate 95 between mile markers 85 and 119.
The NWS states, "If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 8 p.m. for east central Georgia and central South Carolina."
This alert is in effect until 7:30 p.m.
Lightning strikes the United States about 25 million times a year. Most of the strikes occur in the summer, killing 20 people each year, according to the NWS. Chance of lightning increases as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is overhead. It diminishes as the storm moves away.
Here are recommendations for maintaining safety during a thunderstorm:
If finding indoor shelter is not an option:
What is hydroplaning?
Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle begins to slide uncontrollably on wet roads.
This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle's weight can push water out of the way. The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control. The top three contributors to hydroplaning are:
In the event of your vehicle hydroplaning, here's what to know:
Source: The National Weather Service
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