A large storm made it’s way to the Augusta area Tuesday morning and the National Weather Service in Columbia is warning residents about damaging winds and potential flooding.

Just after 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, the weather service issued a hazardous weather outlook for Richmond, Columbia, Burke McDuffie and Aiken counties. The most severe weather will occur from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Winds are expected to remain around 25 mph, with gusts reaching 70 mph, according to the weather service. Severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and a significant tornado is possible in the afternoon.

Heavy rainfall is also expected, which could lead to river flooding, according to the weather service. Three inches of rain is expected.

As of 8:30 a.m., there was a wind speed of 26 mph at the Augusta Daniel Field, according to the weather service. Locals should secure outdoor objects and avoid driving.

Power outages in the Augusta area

As of 8:30 a.m., Georgia Power reported 90 customers were without power in Augusta, 11 customers were without power in Grovetown and five customers were without power in Appling, according to its outage map.

Dominion Energy reported 530 customers were without power in Aiken, according to its outage map.

Storm damage in Richmond, Columbia counties

Columbia County Sheriff’s Office deputies reported traffic light outages and a number of crashes around 8 a.m. Tuesday morning.

As of 8:30 a.m., Maj. Steve Morris with the sheriff’s office said no lights are out.

Severe weather to continue in the Augusta area Wednesday morning, Friday

Strong winds will continue into Wednesday morning and another storm Friday may bring severe weather to the Augusta area, according to the weather service.

Dogs killed in Columbia County: Deputies find 14 dead dogs, some stuffed in a freezer and refrigerator, in Grovetown home

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Severe weather expected in Augusta area Tuesday afternoon