SAVANNAH, Ga. — A strong morning high tide could push saltwater onto low-lying roads around Savannah on Sunday, and rough surf and rip currents will keep the coast dangerous well after the water recedes.
The National Weather Service office in Charleston put coastal Chatham, Bryan, Liberty and McIntosh counties under a coastal flood advisory until 10 a.m. Sunday. Forecasters expected the tide at Fort Pulaski to peak around 7:44 a.m. at 10.0 to 10.2 feet above mean lower low water, enough to leave up to a foot of water on the ground along shorelines and tidal creeks. Flooding can begin an hour or two before high tide and linger an hour or two after.
Chatham Emergency Management Agency warned Saturday that moderate flooding of low coastal areas was possible and that roads such as U.S. 80 could be affected around the peak. The agency urged drivers to be careful and to turn around rather than drive into standing water.
Beachgoers face a separate threat. A high surf advisory remains in effect through 5 p.m. Monday, as waves of 4 to 6 feet break along the beaches, and the risk of dangerous rip currents runs through Sunday evening. Forecasters said rip currents can pull even strong swimmers away from shore, and the pounding waves may cause some beach erosion.
The same advisory stretches across the state line into Beaufort and coastal Jasper counties in South Carolina, where the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office passed along the warning Saturday and said breakers could reach 4 to 7 feet.
Saltwater on the roads is most likely during the two or so hours on either side of the morning peak, so drivers heading through low spots should plan around that window.
Filed under: Savannah GA Weather News
