MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Bad weather will affect the recovery efforts of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon located in waters off South Carolina, according to a U.S. official.
The spy craft’s payload was originally about the size of a bus, and a senior military official told FOX News that it’s still mostly intact. Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder is expected to discuss the findings more in his 2 p.m. EST briefing Friday.
“The recovery operation is ongoing, and by operation we include ship movements to/from the site as well as activities on-site and security of the site,” the official said.
U.S. Navy sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recovered the high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Sunday.
WEATHER RADAR DETECTS DOWNING OF CHINESE SURVEILLANCE BALLOON OFF SOUTH CAROLINA COAST
As much as 35-mph winds are expected to affect the debris field along with rainfall in the next 24 hours. A Gale Warning has been issued as strong winds will likely cause hazardous seas which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility.
“The weather is impacting operations below the surface for a short period, so we’re conducting offload and resupply in the interim,” the official said.
It will be a real “super soaker, if you will,” the FOX Forecast Center said, as a rapidly developing low-pressure system sets the stage for increasingly stormy weather across the Southeast this weekend.
WEEKEND COASTAL STORM TO IMPACT MILLIONS ALONG EAST COAST WITH HEAVY RAIN, SNOW
By Saturday and into early Sunday, the low will intensify rapidly over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico and move across northern Florida.
Rain, which will be heavy at times, will continue across the Carolinas, Georgia and Virginia on Sunday. By the time the rain ends early Monday morning, as much as 5 or 6 inches of rain will fall from northern Florida through the coastal Carolinas.
U.S. Coast Guard ships will remain on-site for security. The HOS Rosebud, an offshore supply ship, will assist in the recovery operation in the coming days, the official added.
HOW A SUSPECTED CHINESE SPY BALLOON IS DIFFERENT THAN AMERICA’S CLASSIC WEATHER BALLOON
The People’s Republic of China confirmed the balloon belonged to the Asian country and contend it was blown off course during a research and weather-related mission.
U.S. military officials cast doubt on Chinese claims and said all indications point to the massive balloon being a surveillance craft.
President Joe Biden gave the order to shoot down the airship on Feb. 1, but the directive was not made public until after the balloon was spotted being shot down by a U.S. fighter jet off of Myrtle Beach last Saturday afternoon.