Gaston Brings Rain, Wind to S.C.

(Columbia) - Governor Mark Sanford declared a state of emergency throughout South Carolina as Tropical Storm Gaston moved through the state Sunday. About 150-thousand people were without power as Gaston downed trees and power lines.Williamsburg County residents sloshed through as much as 10 inches of rain and the National Weather Service said flash flooding was likely inClarendon and Sumter counties. Sanford says he is worried so many light brushes with hurricanes and tropical storms in the past month may lead people to ride out a major storm when they should be evacuating. Sanford says some might think the next hurricane is not a big deal and that they'll stay around for instead of heading to safety inland.Winds gusted to 81 mph Sunday morning at a mobile weather station near the Isle of Palms. East Cooper airport had a wind gust to 73 mph. The Coast Guard station in downtown Charleston has reported winds gusting to 61 mph.Heavy rains accompanied the storm inland. As of 5 p.m. Manning had reported 5.0 inches of rain while Santee reported 3.6 inches.Doppler rainfall estimates were quite high across Charleston, Dorchester, Berkeley, and Williamsburg counties. Estimates of 5 to 10 inches of rain were made by radar. However, the actual rain was almost twice the estimate. It is likely rainfall was in the 8 to 18 inch range. Likewise, rainfall amounts west of Kingstree in Williamsburg county will likely 10 to 20 inches.Another area feeling Gaston's impact was South Carolina's Grand Strand.Business owners in Myrtle Beach closed up shop on Ocean Blvd.The streets, usually packed with tourists, were empty as the storm blew ashore with swift winds and heavy rains.Gaston also made his mark on Pawley's Island. Several homes there had their shingles blown off and windows were knocked out by the effects of the storm.On Litchfield Beach the island suffered some erosion.