I am in upstate SC and there has been virtually NO local discussion on TV or radio by any officials, re need to get prepared.
I am just stunned by this,as model indicates a possible direct hit to my area.
Correct, and they won't publish that data until it is much more certain. They feel that if they now say the Carolinas are in the cone, then Floridians (whom they now have worked into a frenzy) will let their guard down too early.
My sister is in the Midlands and is watching this like a hawk.
The problem is, the more direct a hit, the more perpendicular the storm makes landfall, the more it maintains its strength until then.
If the storm tracked up the coast a bit before making landfall, running parallel to the coast, it loses half its fuel source and weakens considerably.
Although this one has a lot to lose to weaken to the point of not being a danger to somewhere.
Looks like any impact to the Upstate is five to seven days out, and historically the weather events here tend to be more like a tropical storm rather than a hurricane. Flash flooding, especially in the foothills, are the big hazards. The best advice is to go ahead and prep and do not rely on the local talking heads on channels 4,7, or 21.