Warnings and watches have been issued throughout the Lowcountry.

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) – A tropical storm warning is in effect for several Lowcountry counties. Tropical storm warnings have already been issued for some counties, and Helene reached hurricane strength Wednesday morning.

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The counties covered by this warning are Allendale, Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, Jasper, Orangeburg, and Williamsburg. A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected in the area covered by the warning within the next 36 hours.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order Wednesday afternoon declaring a state of emergency in South Carolina.

The Live 5 Weather team has announced First Alert Weather Days for Thursday and Friday of this week due to the predicted impacts of Hurricane Helene.

Joey Sovine, a meteorologist with Live 5 First Alert, said most computer models show Helene moving across Florida and Georgia, although some models predict it will move across western and central South Carolina.

Either way, it will likely impact the Lowcountry with rain and wind and an increased risk of coastal flooding. Depending on the intensity and track, it could cause severe weather events, up to a potential tornado threat, through Friday, he said. Parts of the Lowcountry have been placed under a tropical storm warning.

Helene strengthened into a hurricane on Wednesday, and forecasters warned the storm would intensify as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico and approached Florida.(Live 5)

At 5 p.m. Wednesday, the center of Hurricane Helene was at 22.5 degrees north latitude, 86.6 degrees west longitude, about 460 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida.

Helene is moving north at about 12 mph. It is expected to move north or north-northeast at a faster forward speed over the next 36 hours. Helene is forecast to move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico tonight and Thursday, and cross the Florida Big Bend on Thursday evening.

The National Hurricane Center says it could become a Category 4 system by the time it makes landfall. After making landfall, Helene will likely turn northwest and slow over the Tennessee Valley on Friday and Saturday.

Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter data indicates maximum sustained winds of 85 mph with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast, and Helene is expected to be a major hurricane when it reaches the Florida Big Bend coast Thursday evening. Weakening is expected after landfall, but Helene’s high winds will allow strong, damaging winds, especially gusts, to penetrate far inland across the southeastern United States, including the higher elevations of the southern Appalachians.

Hurricane-force winds blow up to 25 miles from the center, and tropical-force winds blowing up to 345 miles.

A commercial fishing vessel near Isla Mujeres, Mexico, recently recorded winds of 63 miles per hour.

Data from the probe indicate that the minimum pressure at the center has been relatively stable over the past few hours and is estimated at 978 mb or 28.88 inches.

UPDATE AS OF 5:30 PM: Tropical storm warnings have been extended to cover the entire state of South Carolina.

In the Lowcountry, these changes were made to the cities of Orangeburg, Clarendon, Williamsburg and all of Georgetown County.#SCWX #CHSWX #Helena https://t.co/xayotlBu6h

— Meteorologist Dorien Minor (@MinorWX) September 25, 2024

A tropical storm warning is in effect for:

Florida Keys, including the Dry Tortugas
From Flamingo to Anclote River, including Tampa Bay
West of Mexico Beach to the Okaloosa/Walton County line
Flamingo North to Little River Inlet
Lake Okeechobee
From Rio Lagartos to Cabo Catoche, Mexico
The Cuban provinces of Artemisa, Pinar del Rio and the Isle of Youth

A hurricane warning is in effect for the following:

Cuban province of Pinar del Rio
Englewood to Anclote River including Tampa Bay

A hurricane warning has been issued for:

Anclote River to Mexico Beach, Florida
Cabo Catoche to Tulum, Mexico

A storm surge warning is in effect for the following cases:

West from Indian Pass to Mexico Beach

A storm surge warning is in effect for:

Mexico Beach east and south to Flamingo
Tampa Bay
Port Charlotte

Forecasters are also monitoring a tropical wave near the western coast of Africa, which is likely to move westward over the next few days. Shower and thunderstorm activity continues to show signs of organization in association with a tropical wave near the Cape Verde Islands.

Environmental conditions appear favorable for the gradual development of this system, and a tropical depression will likely form in a few days as it moves westward and northwestward across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic.

As of Wednesday morning, there is an 80% chance of development within the next seven days. If it becomes a tropical storm, the next name after Helene will be Isaac.

The remnants of Gordon dissipated over the central Atlantic on Sunday.