By Steve Huffman
shuffman@salisburypost.com
Tropical Storm Hanna may increase in fury and be a minor hurricane by the time she comes ashore Saturday near Wilmington.
But even then, she shouldn’t present much of a problem for those in Rowan and surrounding counties.
“We’re not looking for a heavy rain event,” said Bryan McAvoy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service near Greenville, S.C.
He said the Rowan County area probably won’t see more than a half-inch of rain Friday night. The storm should be out of the area by the time Saturday’s college football games roll around.
McAvoy said Hanna’s projected route has changed several times in recent days. He said that only a few days ago, the storm was expected to make landfall as far west as Charlotte.
But the storm is now expected to come ashore between 10 a.m. and noon Saturday near Wilmington, then beat a hasty path up the East Coast.
Most rain associated with the storm will fall over the eastern portion of the state.
“In your area, you’ll be drying up Saturday,” McAvoy said.