Brace for bad weather

Lowcountry residents should prepare for the possibility of heavy rain, flooding, strong wind and even tornadoes as a severe weather system rolls into the region today.

The system has the potential to be very nasty or not so bad at all. It's just too early to say, a forecaster said Tuesday.

"Not much may happen or it could be very significant," said Mike Emlaw, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "We're just letting people know they should prepare for the worst and hope for the best."

The culprit is an area of low pressure that is developing in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to move into South Carolina overnight.

A coastal flood watch is in effect as strong winds are expected to blow on shore around the same time as the 7:20 a.m. high tide. The tide will already be higher than normal due to the full moon, Emlaw said.

"If the area gets heavy rains on top of that, there could be problems getting the water to drain," he said. That could present flooding problems in portions of downtown Charleston and other areas that typically have drainage issues, he said.

The afternoon and evening hours also hold the potential for severe wind and possibly tornadoes, Emlaw said.

"That's not a high likelihood. There's also the potential not much could happen," he said. "We just want to let people know the worst-case scenario so they can prepare."