Strong winds and the possibility of thunderstorms are on the horizon for Highland County, according to Christopher Hogue, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

Hogue said the “main concern” for the storm system was strong winds late Friday into Saturday, with the timeframe for the biggest risk being 9 a.m. on Saturday into the afternoon hours for Highland County.

“That’s our main concern is the big strong area of low-pressure is slipping through during that time,” Hogue said. “We also have some concerns, with a little bit more uncertainty, over severe weather that could happen when the main, kind of, line of thunderstorms move through Friday night. So, it’s behind that line when the winds kind of kick in, but it’s uncertain, like I said, because the time of the day… But with the wind yields that are out there, maybe just above the ground, there’s some pretty strong winds, the concern is that any kind of thunderstorm activity at all could produce strong winds and potentially wind damage Friday night.”

Hogue said this system is “somewhat” similar to the last several the county has had. He said that’s because it’s a “potent” low-pressure system that tends to develop in the spring and fall seasons that have “a lot of wind energy” that can bring wind damage.

Hogue said the storm is expected to bring only an inch of rain and is not supposed to cause major flooding issues. But he also said there is some potential for thunderstorms Friday night with the strong winds coming Saturday.

Hogue also said the biggest risk for the strong wind events is the possibility of tree damage and that people should take shelter from potential wind damage to trees.

“So, trees weigh a lot, obviously, and so any type of branch, sizable branch, that falls off a tree can seriously injure folks who get hit by that tree damage,” Hogue said. “So, the biggest concern is if you’re just outside and vulnerable to maybe blowing objects and fallen branches from trees. If you’re walking through a wooded area, for example, that would be kind of a high-risk thing to do during a very strong wind event.”

Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.