Update: Hurricane Lee maintains major hurricane status. SC impacts expected soon

Sarah Claire McDonald
·2 min read
2

Hurricane Lee continues to maintain its major hurricane status as it proceeds to move west-northwestward at 12 mph. As of late Friday and early Saturday morning, Lee was a Category 3 with maximum sustained wind speeds of 115 mph.

Early Friday morning, Lee had become the season’s first Category 5 hurricane before beginning to weaken.

Although Lee has decreased to a Category 3, its dangerous impacts shouldn’t be discounted.

Hurricane Lee is maintaining is major hurricane status after it has been downgraded into a Category 3 storm. The South Carolina coast can expect to see its impacts early next week, beginning on Monday, such as beach erosion, rip currents, rough surf and hazardous boating conditions, forecasters say.
Hurricane Lee is maintaining is major hurricane status after it has been downgraded into a Category 3 storm. The South Carolina coast can expect to see its impacts early next week, beginning on Monday, such as beach erosion, rip currents, rough surf and hazardous boating conditions, forecasters say.

“The statistical and consensus intensity aids predict Lee could briefly weaken in the short-term, before restrengthening in about 12-24 hours,” the National Hurricane Center said in a 5 a.m. advisory.

“It is likely that Lee will continue to be a dangerous hurricane through the entire forecast period,” the NHC continued.

Hurricane Lee’s core is expected to move north of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico this weekend and into early next week, but it is too soon to know what level of impacts, if any, Lee might have along the U.S. East Coast late next week.

Lee will cause significant boating and beach impacts along South Carolina’s coast next week. Local waters will have a rough surf and high rip current risk, and boating will be hazardous in coastal waters beginning Monday, said Frank Strait, the severe weather liaison from the South Carolina State Climate Office.

Additional beach erosion following Hurricane Idalia could also result from impacts caused by Hurricane Lee.

A new moon next week will also lead to high astronomical tides.

Early Friday morning, Hurricane Lee briefly joined a group of seven notorious Category 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic since 2016:

  • Hurricane Matthew in 2016

  • Hurricane Irma in 2017

  • Hurricane Maria 2017

  • Hurricane Michael 2018

  • Hurricane Dorian in 2019

  • Hurricane Lorenzo in 2019

  • Hurricane Ian in 2022

Other Tropical storm systems to watch for

In addition to Hurricane Lee, Tropical Storm Margot is a strong tropical wave that just moved over the Atlantic from Africa, and National Hurricane Center forecasters predict that Margot will strengthen into a hurricane by Sunday.

Tropical Storm Margot’s current projected path, according to a 5 a.m. advisory Saturday from the National Hurricane Center.
Tropical Storm Margot’s current projected path, according to a 5 a.m. advisory Saturday from the National Hurricane Center.