A developing tropical storm currently passing over Cuba may impact parts of South Carolina and North Carolina by the middle of next week. The storm could bring heavy precipitation, rough surf and other impacts to these regions.

At 11 a.m. Friday, the National Hurricane Center issued its first advisory for “potential tropical cyclone four.” In the update, the tropical depression was shown over Cuba, with the long-term path of the storm moving into the Gulf of Mexico before swinging back over Florida and into the Atlantic.

The cone of uncertainty, which shows the storm’s probable path, includes much of SC. However, many variables remain, including the strength of the still-developing storm and its exact eventual path.

If the system strengthens into a tropical storm as currently predicted, its name would be Debby, the fourth named storm of the season.

More: What is heat index? Friday’s could be 105. How humidity, dew point can affect our bodies

What are the chances for development?

As of late Friday morning the depression was about 420 miles southeast of Key West.

“A Tropical Storm Warning is now in effect for the southwest coast of the Florida peninsula from East Cape Sable to Bonita Beach,” stated the hurricane center’s 11 a.m. advisory. “A Tropical Storm Watch is now in effect for the Florida Keys south of the Card Sound Bridge including the Dry Tortugas, the southern coast of the Florida peninsula east of East Cape Sable to the Card Sound bridge, and for the west coast of the Florida peninsula north of Bonita Beach to Aripeka.”

According to the hurricane center, the depression could grow into a tropical storm by late Saturday as it passed over the Florida Keys.

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What can we expect in the Greenville area?

Weather for the upcoming week is highly dependent on the development of the tropical storm. How quickly the steering winds push the storm north-northeast up toward Florida’s panhandle and back over land will determine the severity of associated weather.

The hurricane center’s update currently has the system passing over northern Florida late Sunday and reentering the Atlantic on Monday morning. Then, predictions show the storm hugging the coast as it moves up the Eastern Seaboard toward the Carolinas. Again, many variables can impact where the system will move.

Currently, NOAA forecasts for the weekend are showing high temperatures in the 90s with overnight showers and thunderstorms predicted. No high winds are forecasted so far.

More: Heat wave continues, cooling stations open in Spartanburg County. What about Greenville?

Where is Potential Tropical Cyclone Four?

Track it: South Carolina Storm Tracker and Model Mixer

Conditions around noon Aug. 2

• Location: 90 miles east-southeast of Camaguey, Cuba; 420 miles southeast of Key West
• Maximum sustained winds: 30 mph
• Movement: west-northwest at 16 mph

More: Heat advisory in effect for Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson, precautions to stay cool

Are you prepared for a hurricane?

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. Even if this system won’t pose a threat to the S.C. coast, it’s never too early to be prepared.

Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida, contributed to this report.

Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.

SOUTH CAROLINA (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — It’s the most wonderful time of the year – for back-to-school shopping as South Carolina’s annual tax-free weekend begins on Friday, Aug. 2.

During this year’s tax-free weekend, also known as the sales tax holiday, a variety of purchases are exempt from the state’s 6% sales tax and any applicable local taxes.

Tax-free items range from clothing, accessories, and shoes to school supplies, backpacks, and computers. As long as an item is eligible, it is tax-free whether purchased in-store or online.​​

During last year’s tax-free weekend holiday, shoppers purchased more than $30.4 million in tax-free items, according to the South Carolina Department of Revenue.

BACK TO SCHOOL: Latest back-to-school updates and stories across the Carolinas

The exemption does not apply to: items for use in a trade or business; items placed on layaway or a similar deferred payment and delivery plan; clothing and footwear rentals; cosmetics; eyewear; furniture; and jewelry.

South Carolina’s tax-free weekend is a 72-hour event held each August. It begins at 12:01 a.m. on the first Friday in August and goes through the following Sunday.

For more information on exempt and nonexempt items, please click here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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COLUMBIA — South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer knows he isn’t alone when he says he’s excited about this season.

“I know every (football) coach in America is standing before the media right now talking about how great of a summer his team had and we absolutely did, no doubt in my mind, we had an elite summer,” Beamer said Thursday to open his press conference.

Part of what made the offseason so great according to Beamer was strength and conditioning coach Luke Day, who is in his fourth season with the Gamecocks. Beamer praised the work he did in the offseason with the physical transformation of some players and especially this season, injury prevention and physical well-being is a huge priority for South Carolina.

On the eve of Friday’s first preseason practice, Beamer described in detail the adjustments the staff has made since last season in terms of exercises, routines and practice formats that aim to lessen the risk of injury for the Gamecocks.

The most notable change is one Beamer hasn’t even told the players about yet, but is a small difference he hopes will have a large impact. He calls it an activation period, which means instead of sitting down watching film first thing in the morning, then jumping right into a walk through, which he said is more of a “jog through,” the activation period will happen in between.

For roughly eight minutes, the Gamecocks will warm up before the official warmup, get the blood flowing and do more movement exercises after sitting, before they begin “walking” through plays.

This idea came to be when an injury occurred during spring practice when a player stepped onto the field and pulled a muscle. Beamer said that moment was an eye opener, suggesting that non-contact injuries like that can’t happen.

“We’ve (also) made tweaks in the weight room, some things from a physical standpoint with their bodies, nutrition … the schedule, more conducive to taking care of their bodies,” Beamer said.

Whether that’s leaving practice 30 minutes earlier than last season for extra sleep or requiring a recovery stretch before leaving the field, Beamer and South Carolina’s staff has bought in to protecting bodies heading into the 2024 season.

For 45 minutes on Thursday morning, the entire staff watched tape of every single injury from spring practices that resulted in a player missing more than one day of practice, looking for signs of how those injuries may have been prevented. In 2023, Beamer lost six offensive linemen to season-ending injuries, forcing nine different starting lineup combinations in the first nine games.

Rocket Sanders, a transfer from Arkansas, spent the entire spring and most of his 2023 season at Arkansas dealing with injuries. Beamer praised his recovery at SEC Media Days and made specific note of his body weight changing, his physical well-being transforming, in addition to the actual recovery of his specific injuries.

QUESTIONS: Five questions for South Carolina football, Shane Beamer ahead of 2024 preseason practices

“When you see our players, they’re going to look different,” Beamer said. “Our guys have grown and gotten better … but there’s still a lot of work to do in the month of August.”

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin