Beaufort County had a quieter evening, without imminent warnings; however, periods of light and heavy rain persisted. The National Weather Service’s Charleston Office said at 6 a.m. Wednesday that the potential for dangerous flooding/flash flooding was decreasing. Forecasters said between Wednesday and Friday morning, Beaufort County will get an additional 2 to 3 inches of rain, with the potential for 6 inches in some local areas.
The threat for tropical storm-force winds is now confined to the South Carolina coast. The local service said because of Debby’s “very slow motion,” the threat for ongoing flooding could worsen over the next couple of days.
Meteorologists at the NWS Charleston office expect Tropical Storm Debby to make second landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday morning near the Santee River region of South Carolina’s coast, about 100 miles north of Hilton Head Island. The storm is not likely to reach hurricane strength before then, the agency says.
When it comes to rainfall, Beaufort County seems to be over the hill. Forecasters predict up to two additional inches of rain between Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.
5:40 p.m. Municipalities reopening Thursday
Following the lead of county government, most municipalities and government services in the Beaufort County area are resuming normal operations Thursday morning:
Town of Hilton Head Island administrative offices: Reopening Thursday at 8 a.m.
Hilton Head beach parks and community parks: Reopening Thursday at 8 a.m., including restrooms and parking lots
City of Beaufort offices: Reopening Thursday at 8 a.m.
Capital Waste Services in Beaufort: Resuming trash pickup Thursday
Town of Bluffton offices: Reopening Thursday at 8 a.m.
Jasper County offices and recycle centers: Reopening Thursday
Palmetto Breeze/Trolley: All routes resuming Thursday
Beaufort County convenience centers will reopen Thursday as well. Due to the storm, the limit of three visits per week will be waived through Sunday.
In the days after their activation, the Town of Hilton Head Island’s four pump stations transferred over 265 million gallons of stormwater from local drainage systems into Broad Creek, Jarvis Creek and Lawton Creek, preventing “potentially catastrophic flooding” on the island, according to a Wednesday evening news release .
“Our Town staff was well-prepared and did an excellent job carrying out tasks to ensure our safety and responding quickly to flooded areas,” Mayor Allen Perry wrote. “Over the next several days, the Town will be working with impacted property owners to address their concerns and issues.”
4:40 p.m. NWS confirms tornado in Beaufort County
A “high-wind event” that split trees and damaged at least one home around 1 a.m. Tuesday on Lady’s Island was a tornado, the National Weather Service confirmed Wednesday afternoon. Meteorologists determined the twister was an EF0, the weakest category in the agency’s modern rating system.
4:00 p.m. Plans to rescind state of emergency
Beaufort County Council plans to rescind the county’s state of emergency at 2 p.m. Friday, if conditions do not worsen.
4:00 p.m: Beaufort County offices and facilities update
Beaufort County offices and facilities, including convenience centers, airports and Daufuskie Island ferry service are set to open Thursday. They will remain closed on Wednesday.
3:25 p.m: Power outages
Most everyone in Beaufort County has power.
According to PowerOutage.us. , out of Dominion Energy’s over 61,000 customers, 19 were without power Wednesday morning. None of Palmetto Electric Cooperative’s 54,600 customers were without electricity.
2:30 p.m. Gov. Henry McMaster gives damage assessment
According to reports, the storm hasn’t caused any injuries or fatalities so far, McMaster said . He warned the threat of severe flooding across the state remains high.
2:20 p.m: Beaufort County schools to close Thursday
Beaufort County schools will be closed tomorrow , pushing the first day of school to Friday, August 9. The district said it will confirm the start date by 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
11:50 a.m: NWS Charleston briefing
Ron Morales, a meteorologist with the NWS’ Charleston Office, said Debby did not have an organized eyewall, which is good news because a more organized eyewall would result in a strengthening storm.
Debby was between 70 and 75 miles from southeast Beaufort mid-morning and was expected to continue drifting east-northeast. By the evening or early Thursday, Morales said the storm would turn north, back toward the northern Charleston County coast.
While Debby is expected to make a second landfall along South Carolina’s coast late tonight or early Thursday, forecasters say the storm isn’t predicted to reach hurricane strength.
Rain and hazardous marine conditions remain the greatest concern for Beaufort County, Morales said. If the Lowcountry coast does get tropical-storm force winds/gusts, they would blow through later today or early Thursday.
Morales said there is little-to-no impact from storm surge or tornadoes.
11 a.m: Talmadge Bridge
The SC 170 and SC 315 intersection, a main connection to Savannah, Georgia, from South Carolina, via the Talmadge Memorial Bridge, was significantly flooded and closed to drivers. There isn’t a reopening time set yet, according to a trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
The SC 170 and SC 315 intersection, a main connection to Savannah, Georgia, and South Carolina via the Talmadge Bridge, was significantly flooded on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. Drew Martin
10:55 a.m: Beaufort County shelters
Two emergency shelters in Beaufort County will close at noon Wednesday.
10:20 a.m: Port Royal Cypress Wetlands update
Fallen tree limbs damaged the wooden fencing that lines the boardwalk at Cypress Wetlands in Port Royal. The damage, described as minor, prompted the closure of the amphitheater and main entrance to the boardwalk through the popular bird sanctuary located off Paris Avenue.
However, the wetlands can still be accessed from less high-trafficked locations on 16th or 17th streets.
10 a.m: Jasper County shelter
Jasper County’s emergency shelter, which was located at Ridgeland Elementary School, will close at 2 p.m., according to a county alert.
9:05 a.m: Town of Bluffton updates
The town said it’s willing to assist neighborhoods with private drainage systems that are under the jurisdiction of the Property Owners Association. Town engineering contractors will review the existing systems and recommend enhancements after Debby’s impact subsides.
If you are a private property owner with flood damage, take photos and videos of the damage for insurance purposes, Bluffton officials said. And if you are in a flooded area and are unable to leave your home, call non-emergency dispatch at 843-524-2777 and ask for a Bluffton police officer to pick you up.
8:55 a.m: HHI water main damage
On Tuesday afternoon, a Town of Hilton Head Island contractor, as part of an emergency response, “inadvertently damaged a water main,” according to a town news release. It happened while the contractor was removing a blockage that was impacting a primary drainage-way adjacent to Palmetto Bay Marina under Helmsman Way.
The blockage was successfully removed, the town said, but water service to Palmetto Bay Marina was disrupted, the news release said. The South Island Public Service District and the town’s contractor are working together to restore service.
7:40 a.m: Power outages
According to PowerOutage.us. , out of Dominion Energy’s over 61,000 customers, eight were without power Wednesday morning. About 31 of Palmetto Electric Cooperative’s 54,600 customers did not have electricity.
7:35 a.m: What’s still closed in the county Wednesday?
Parks : Hunting Island State Park and All Hilton Head park facilities and beach parks. Hunting Island State Park closed for an undetermined amount of time . Port Royal’s Cypress Wetlands.
Colleges : University of South Carolina-Beaufort’s Beaufort, Bluffton and Hilton Head campuses. Technical College of the Lowcountry
Daufuskie Island Ferry
Palmetto Breeze/Trolley
S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles
Beaufort County offices
Beaufort County Convenience Centers
Town of Hilton Head Island offices
Bluffton offices
Now We’re Talking Therapy Services
Great Clips’ May River, New River and Beaufort locations
Hilton Head Exterminators
7:15 a.m: Bluffton trash pick-up
Bluffton’s trash pick-up is a day and a half behind, town officials said. Because Monday’s pick-up was cut short, Waste Management will finish its Monday route starting Wednesday morning, then it’ll get to its Tuesday route.
The town asks residents to leave their cans out until routes are complete, which is expected by Saturday afternoon.
6 a.m: NWS Charleston Office update
Local forecasters predict Debby will make a second landfall along the South Carolina coast early Thursday, but the storm is not expected to reach hurricane strength, the NWS’ 6 a.m. briefing showed .
From Wednesday to Friday, additional rainfall totals on top of what’s already fallen in Beaufort County are between 2 and 3 inches, with the potential for 8 inches in some local areas. A heavy rainfall threat, focused over the Lowcountry, will continue through Thursday, which means the risk for flash flooding remains.
Tropical Storm winds/wind gusts, between 39 and 57 mph, are possible along the South Carolina coast through Wednesday and into the evening. During a Tuesday S.C. Emergency Management Division news conference , officials said a 55 mph wind gust in Beaufort was the highest reported in the county.
Meteorologist say surge impacts will be minimal, with local inundation values between 1 and 2 feet.
Max values for Debby’s threat level to the Lowcountry on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. National Weather Ser
5 a.m: National Hurricane Center update
The center of Tropical Storm Debby was 65 miles south-southeast of Charleston, dawdling toward the east at 5 mph, the center’s 5 a.m. advisory said .
Debby had maximum sustained winds near 45 mph.
Forecasters expected an even slower motion toward the north and north-northwest, bringing Debby’s center to the South Carolina coast by tonight or early Thursday. A faster motion toward the north and north-northeast across the Carolinas and the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region is expected Thursday and Friday.
Some strengthening is possible today or tonight before the center of Debby reaches South Carolina’s coast, the NHC said. Weakening will likely begin Thursday after the center moves inland. Meteorologists said that Debby is expected to merge with a frontal boundary over the U.S. Mid-Atlantic on Friday.
Reporters Mary Dimitrov, Karl Puckett and Drew Martin contributed to this report.
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