Weather live updates: Severe thunderstorm hits Myrtle Beach, SC area with high winds, rain

Fact check: Is the Myrtle Beach, SC area seeing an uptick in tornadoes?

Updated 3:27 p.m.

Myrtle Beach’s seen an uptick in tornadoes recently, but one expert says the area isn’t becoming more prone to them.

While Myrtle Beach has seen two tornadoes in recent months, the Grand Strand has not seen a particular uptick in activity recently, National Weather Service Wilmington, N.C. meteorologist Steven Pfaff said.

Pfaff added that there are a couple of times a year when there is peak tornado activity, particularly between March and May as well as September.

North Myrtle Beach area under tornado warning

Updated 3 p.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for North Myrtle Beach and Little River until 3:45 p.m.

Tornado warning for parts of Myrtle Beach area

Updated 2:23 p.m.

A tornado warning has been issued Tuesday for the areas of Myrtle Beach, Socastee, Conway and around Garden City until 2:45 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

Hundreds lose power in Conway area

Updated 1:07 p.m.

More than 700 people are without power in the Conway area, according to the Horry Electric Cooperative.

The utility company reported that 767 people lost power a little after noon Tuesday because of wind.

Should you be concerned about flooding in Horry County? Why the storm’s speed might help

Updated 1 p.m.

Some flooding might be expected in Horry County, but the threat isn’t serious due to the speed of the storm, officials say.

A storm is moving toward the Myrtle Beach area, and flooding could accompany it with heavy weather starting around Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service’s Wilmington, N.C. office.

While flooding might impact areas with poor drainage and beach erosion is a concern, the flooding threat is “on the low end” and isn’t a serious threat because of the storm, said Steven Pfaff, warning coordination meteorologist for the NWS’ Wilmington site.

Horry County under tornado watch

Updated 11:44 a.m.

A tornado watch has been issued for Horry County until 6 p.m., according to the Horry County Emergency Management.

Wind gusts in Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach are at 38 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Myrtle Beach beaches go to double-red flag

Updated 10:22 a.m.

The City of Myrtle Beach shores have gone to a double red flag for the remainder of Tuesday, meaning that everyone should remain out of the ocean due to dangerous surf conditions, according to the Myrtle Beach Fire Department.

Horry County closings and event cancellations due to expected strong storm Tuesday

Updated 10:18 A.M.

Tuesday’s storm is predicted to bring heavy rain, flooding and high winds with gusts up to 55 mph to the Myrtle Beach area, according to the National Weather Service.

That could mean some in Horry County will postpone plans or cancel events in preparation for the severe weather. Check the list of cancellations and closings here.

If you have a cancellation or closing, email online@thesunnews.com.

HTC closes retail branches and prepares for severe weather impacts

Updated 10:10 A.M.

HTC announced via an email that their retail locations and their Customer Contact Center were closing at 12:30 p.m. today. Customers can pay their bills online.

“HTC is taking necessary measures to prepare for these conditions by testing and fueling standby generators, inspecting network offices and equipment locations to prevent flooding, preparing fleet vehicles for deployment and other tasks associated with ensuring the safety of network equipment,” wrote the company officials in an email. “HTC will be watching the storm as it moves into our service area and managing our emergency operations center to monitor the network for any alarms.”

Horry County under high-wind warning. Here’s when storm to hit and what to expect Tuesday

A severe thunderstorm is expected to hit the Myrtle Beach area Tuesday, bringing damaging winds, potential flooding and the threat of tornadoes. The National Weather Service said the worst of the storm is expected to hit in the afternoon and evening.

Residents could see bouts of heavy rainfall and wind speeds of more than 55 mph. A total of 1 to 2 inches of rain is predicted, which will bring low levels of flash flooding and a chance of minor coastal flooding.

Watch coastal flooding on 23 webcams in Myrtle Beach area. Here’s how

Many Myrtle Beach area resorts and restaurants live stream their views.

For most of the year, these webcams show tranquil beach scenes for visitors longing for the ocean. When a storm hits, the cameras can turn into tools for locals and tourists alike to witness the effects in real time.

After you identify local emergency contacts and see if your area is likely to flood, check out these 23 beach cams to watch the storm.

Worried about losing power during storm? How to report and check an outage in Horry County

As an early winter storm approaches the Myrtle Beach area, there’s a potential for power outages in Horry County.

The National Weather Service’s Wilmington office’s Jan. 8 storm briefing reported that winds could reach 55 mph for land areas and more than 58 mph in marine/coastal areas. The NWS’s report also said tornadoes could develop, putting the threat of wind between “elevated” and “significant.”

The NWS lists increasing threats from none, limited, elevated, significant and extreme.