Lowcountry Ferry to Daufuskie Island stops service early due to incoming Hurricane Helene

Shortly after 10:30 a.m. Thursday, the Lowcountry Ferry Service announced it would temporarily suspend operations due to Hurricane Helene’s weather conditions that began kicking up even before the Category 2 storm had made landfall near Florida’s panhandle.

The ferry will stop service at 1 p.m. Thursday, with the last departure from Daufuskie Island scheduled for 11:30 a.m., according to Beaufort County’s news release.

The service said it anticipated a reopening at 1 p.m. Friday. However, the timing of restarting service could change based on “new information obtained from the National Weather Service and the Captain’s call on safety.”

Visit locoferry.com for the most up-to-date information.

Hurricane Helene continued to rapidly intensify over the eastern Gulf of Mexico Thursday morning, possibly strengthening into a Category 3 storm, the National Hurricane Center said. The large and powerful storm system is likely to bring strong winds, heavy rain and rough seas to the Lowcountry.