Charleston-Huntington, WV Ivan did his dirty work deep in the heart of Dixie on Wednesday with his first light showers arriving locally during the day. By early Thursday morning, Ivan no longer held Hurricane or even Tropical Storm status, though he was a big swirling mass of torrential rains. Here's my latest for TGIF and your weekend ahead.
OUR REGION
Ivan should swamp our region with a general 2" to 5" rainfall on Friday causing street flooding galore and stream flooding in many places. Just how serious that flooding gets will determine how many inches fall.
In a pre-emptive strike, my colleagues from the NWS in Charleston issued a rare "BEFORE THE EVENT" series of Flood warnings for the Hocking, Little Sandy, Little Kanawha, Guyandotte, Coal and Little Kanawha Rivers for late Friday or Saturday and also a Flood Warning for the Ohio River for the weekend. Their preliminary crests along the Ohio for Sunday look scary, but let's wait until dusk Friday before we really worry about the main stem. You see only by then will we have a true gauge of how much water is in the system.
Rains will taper to showers Friday night for football (can you say quagmire?) and Chilifest, Belleville Homecoming, Barboursville Fallfest and Poage Landing Days are looking much better than earlier thought for the weekend.
ATHENS, GEORGIA
Herd fans heading to Athens, do yourself a favor. WAIT Until late day or even night to head south. By that time the rains will have ended along I-75, the stretch I am now recommending for your trip to North GEORGIA.
Athens had a rough Thursday with 5" of rain and winds to 50 miles per hour, but conditions will improve for Game day with a humid high of 82.
MYRTLE BEACH
The famous Strand is still on the outside looking in at Ivan, a good place to be. It is unlikely any serious direct effects from Ivan will be felt at Myrtle Beach. Still, Ivan will help make the air very steamy at Myrtle and with a sea breeze blowing all weekend long, a shower or thunderstorm will be around each day. Highs will be near 85. Lows are only going to be 75.
But Hurricane Jeanne has a 50-50 chance of affecting your beach trip early next week. Stay tuned.
TENNESSEE and NC MTS: GATLINBURG AND THE GREAT SMOKIES
There is a serious flood threat through Friday night. We will see lighter rains on Saturday.
MORGANTOWN: 'EERS vs. TERPS
WVU fans, rains will exit Mountaineer field by dawn Saturday...and game day will turn nice with a stiff breeze and some sun. High 75.
CHARLOTTE AND PITTSBURGH
Ivan will delay/cancel flights into Charlotte's Douglas International airport on Friday and perhaps early Saturday. Weather will be on-again, off-again thereafter. Pittsburgh like Morgantown will see Friday rains then drying Saturday.
To summarize, Ivan is no longer a hurricane but still capable of being terrible!
