Idalia strengthens into Category 1 hurricane, Lowcountry impacts Wednesday and Wednesday night 

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – Idalia strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane early Tuesday as it intensified on a path toward Florida’s Gulf coast, with the National Hurricane Center issuing a storm surge watch for the South Carolina coast. 

The storm is expected to become a Category 3 hurricane as it makes landfall near Florida’s Big Bend on Wednesday. 

Storm Team 2 Meteorologist Josh Marthers says Idalia will move across the Lowcountry Wednesday evening into early Thursday morning as a Tropical Storm. 

Lowcountry residents should prepare for gusty winds, flooding, heavy rain, power outages, and isolated tornados. 

Wind gusts between 40 mph and 60 mph will be in the area Wednesday evening and overnight.  

Heavy 4-8 inches of rain and flash flooding are possible across southeast South Carolina. 

Based on the full moon and the current lunar cycle, the Wednesday evening high tide cycle could produce the highest water levels around 8:30 p.m.

Marthers says storms that make landfall in the Gulf of Mexico are notorious tornado producers for the Carolinas. 

“It’s out of here during the day Thursday and we will see quickly improving conditions,” Marthers said.  

Count on 2 for updates.