LIVE UPDATES: Over 10K in Beaufort County without power due to Tropical Storm Debby

Click here to access Tuesday updates.

Debby made landfall 7 a.m. Monday as Category 1 hurricane in Florida’s Big Bend region and, as it moves up the Southeast Coast, the system could dump historic rainfall in Beaufort County.

At 11 a.m., the system was downgraded to a tropical storm.

As of Monday morning, the county was under tropical storm and storm surge warnings, and tornado and flood watches. Local meteorologists’ biggest concern is the predicted rainfall totals. There is the potential for about 20 inches of rain, with the possibility of local amounts up to 30 inches, from the tropical system through Thursday, according to updated maps from the National Weather Service’s Charleston Office.

Beaufort County is under the following watches, warnings and advisories:

• Flood advisory until 8:15 p.m.

• Flash flood warning until 1 a.m. Tuesday
  
  

• Tornado watch until 1 a.m. Tuesday

• Flood watch until 8 a.m. Thursday

• Tropical storm warning

• Storm surge warning

Below are Monday’s latest updates:

10:15 p.m. Tornado warning issued again

The NWS issued a tornado warning for Beaufort County, which will last through 10:45 p.m.

Severe thunderstorms capable of producing a tornado were located along a line extending from Folly Field to 6 miles east of Hilton Head Airport, moving northwest at 30 mph, according to the service’s alert.

9:40 p.m: County power outages

According to PowerOutage.us., out of Dominion Energy’s over 61,000 customers, 3,670 were without power. Of Palmetto Electric Cooperative’s 54,600 customers, 5,771 did not have power.

9 p.m: Tornado warning

The NWS issued a tornado warning for Beaufort and Port Royal, which will last through 9:45 p.m.

A tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar, the service said. There is imminent danger to life and property. Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If in a mobile home, a vehicle, or outdoors, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.

To prepare, the service said “do not wait to see or hear the tornado. TAKE COVER NOW!”

“Tornadoes from tropical storms or hurricanes can form and move very quickly. TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY! If you wait until you hear a tornado, it could be too late,” the service’s alert said.

8:50 p.m. Road closures

As of 8:50 p.m., May River Road was closed near Buck Island Road due to a downed tree, according to Stephen Combs, a spokesperson for the Bluffton Township Fire District.

Around 6:30 p.m. Monday, heavy rains resulted in the closure the on-ramp from S.C. 170 to U.S. 278 as massive amounts of water pooled in the roadway, according to previous reporting by The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. Drivers can use Bluffton Parkway as an alternate route.

8 p.m: Hilton Head declares State of Emergency

The mayor of the town of Hilton Head Island declared a State of Emergency Monday night shortly before 8 p.m. joining other municipalities in the area made a similar move earlier in the day.

Mayor Allen R. Perry issued the two-page notice over his signature giving the island access to state and federal relief for clean up and repairs. Mayor Perry wrote that he, “direct(ed) the Town Manager to immediately take such steps that are necessary for the protection of life and property in the Town. The directive was effective immediately.

7:45 p.m: Biden approves fed assistance for SC, including Beaufort Co. at 75%

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Monday that federal disaster assistance is available to South Carolina, including Beaufort County, to supplement response efforts due to emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Debby, according to an agency news release.

Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance and reimbursement for mass care including evacuation and shelter support, will be provided at 75% federal funding, the FEMA news release said.

7 p.m: Flash flood warning issued

The NWS placed Beaufort County under a flash flood warning that will last until 1 a.m. Tuesday. The expected rainfall rate is 1.5 to 2 inches per hour.

Doppler radar indicated heavy rain across the warned area, according to the service. Between 2.5 and 4.5 inches of rain had fallen by 7 pm. Additional rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are possible in the warned area and flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

6:15 p.m: NWS Charleston briefing

During an evening weather briefing, NWS Charleston Meteorologist Ron Morales said Tropical Storm Debby was predicted to move east-northeastward tonight and emerge off Georgia’s coastline Tuesday afternoon.

If the storm’s center gets far enough out, Morales said it would be problematic, with the potential for the system to restrengthen into a hurricane. However, he said, that is not currently in the forecast but it is something the service will continue to watch.

There’s still a “considerable” amount of certainty for the storm’s track, Morales said, adding that there is low confidence for track after Tuesday.

“Whether it emerges off the coast, plus how far and how long... that’s going to impact everything,” Morales said. “That’s going to impact the storm surge inundation. That’s going to impact where the heaviest rainfall is and where the strongest winds are.”

5:50 p.m: Jasper County sand available

Sand is available in Hardeeville and Ridgeland; however, the locations do not currently we do not have sandbags available, according to a Jasper County Emergency Services news release. To get sand, bring your own shovels to fill your own sandbags.

• Ridgeland location: 456 Grays Highway

• Hardeeville location: 205 Main St.

If you are unable to make it to the locations, and elect to use alternative materials, consider materials such as cat litter, dirt, potting mix, gravel, rags, blankets, according to the news release. You want the alternative filling to be water absorbent. While these are not optimal solutions, they potentially reduce or stop water damage.

5:15 p.m: Flood advisory

The NWS issued a flood advisory, meaning doppler radar has indicated heavy rain. The advisory is set to lift at 8:15 p.m. Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas is likely.

Between 2 and 3.5 inches of rain had fallen in the county Monday and another 2 to 4 inches were expected, the service said.

4:50 p.m: County state of emergency, Jasper County shelter

Beaufort County declared a State of Emergency, effective until Aug. 11, unless rescinded sooner, according to a county news release.

A regional shelter will be open in Jasper County at 4 p.m. Monday at Ridgeland Elementary School, which is located at 250 Jaguar Trail.

This shelter is prepared for special needs and is also pet-friendly, the county release said. If you plan to shelter with your pet, please bring enough food, any medicine, a leash, vaccination paperwork, crate if possible, blankets and toys.

Here is the link to the Jasper County EMD shelter announcement for a complete list of required items.

4:30 p.m: Grocery store updates

The Publix in Island Crossing, the Kroger in Shelter Cove Towne Center and the Harris Teeter in Main Street Village plan to stay open during normal business hours even as the storm continues moving throughout the region, according to storm managers.

4: 20 p.m: Savannah tornado warning

The NWS issued a tornado warning for Savannah, which is about 23 miles from Bluffton.

A tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar, the service said. There is imminent danger to life and property. Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If in a mobile home, a vehicle, or outdoors, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Hail wasn’t expected.

The warning was set to expire at 4:45 p.m.

4 p.m: More HHI, county closures

Facilities, including restrooms, and parking lots at all town beach parks and community parks will be inaccessible, beginning at 7 p.m. Monday, according to a town news release.

Hilton Head Island’s administrative offices and park facilities will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Town emergency services will remain available.

All County convenience centers will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Palmetto Breeze will suspend all transit services at 8 p.m. There will be no Palmetto Breeze or Trolley service on Tuesday. On Tuesday, Palmetto Breeze will announce its service plan for Wednesday, according to the town.

3:45 p.m. Tornado watch extended

The NWS extended its tornado watch for Beaufort County until 1 a.m. Tuesday. A watch indicates that tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area.

3:35 p.m: Hunting Island set to shutter

Hunting Island State Park will close Tuesday for an undetermined amount of time in response to expected flooding and wind impacts from Tropical Storm Debby.

Park Manager Zabo McCants said Monday that the decision was based on the park’s history of flooding and erosion issues. And, ultimately, the closure will keep the public and park rangers safe, McCants said.

3:30 p.m: Health care closures

The hospital and its emergency room remain open. Visiting hours were scheduled to close at 5 p.m. Monday.

Entry into the hospital after that time will only be through the emergency room entrance, officials said. The hospital’s telehealth service, BMH Care Anywhere, remains available 24 hours a day to anyone with internet access.

Beaufort Memorial physician practices, all three Express Car and Occupational Health clinics and outpatient departments will be closed Tuesday. Elective surgeries planned for Tuesday at the hospital and the Beaufort Memorial Surgery Center have been rescheduled, according to hospital officials. Radiation therapy, chemotherapy and infusion services will continue as planned on Monday. LifeFit Wellness Center will close at 8 p.m. on Monday, and be closed on Tuesday.

3:20 p.m: College closures

All Technical College of the Lowcountry campuses will be closing beginning Monday afternoon and remain shuttered through Wednesday.

The University of South Carolina-Beaufort will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

3:05 p.m: BJWSA Water update

Water staff will be moving into the water treatment plants starting today and will be living and working there until the storm has passed, according to Jeff La Rue, the Chief Communications Officer at the Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority.

Wastewater staff is pre-staged in zones so that they can respond to issues that arise in their area. Sandbags have been stationed in high-flood areas, generators have gone through final checks and fuel tanks have been topped off.

On-call staff will respond to requests as soon as possible, but some responses might take longer than usual, La Rue said. The authority’s administrative offices will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Pete Nardi, general manager at the Hilton Head Public Service District, said that as of Monday afternoon, they were continuing to monitor the situation but operating as normal. They will only be responding to emergency service calls until the storm passes, he said.

3 p.m: Bluffton, Beaufort declare State of Emergency

Bluffton Mayor Larry Toomer has declared a State of Emergency for the Town of Bluffton, effective Monday to 11:59 p.m. Thursday.

A declaration of a State of Emergency allows Toomer to use special powers to “help preserve and maintain life, health, property, or the public peace, which orders will have full force and effect of law during the state of emergency,” according to the town’s news release.

Mayor Phil Cromer has declared a State of Emergency for the city of Beaufort, effective until 11:59 p.m. Thursday.

2:55 p.m: Beaufort and Port Royal closures

The city of Beaufort and the town of Port Royal are closing their normal business operations on Tuesday as city and town workers scramble to prepare for major rainfall amounts from Tropical Storm Debby.

Van Willis, the manager of the Town of Port Royal, said much of the town’s drainage system is tide-contingent. As of Monday, based on how the system is approaching, the town appears to be in a better position than it has been in previous storms.

“But no system is designed to accommodate 30 inches of rain in a short period of time, so we will probably see some water in some places where we don’t normally have it,” Willis said Monday at about noon.

The town also is expecting to close its offices on Wednesday. Beaufort said it might close its offices later in the week as well, depending on the severity of the storm. City Manager Scott Marshall said the city is as prepared as it can be. “This will be a water event more than a wind event if you believe the forecast,” Marshall said. A big concern is trees because, with the ground so saturated, even low tropical force winds will blow them them over. “It won’t take much to bring some trees down,” Marshall said.

2:05 p.m: BCSD closure

The Beaufort County School District canceled school on Wednesday, which was set to be the first day of school for the district.

All BCSD buildings and facilities will be closed for the remainder of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

2 p.m: Bluffton cancellations, closures

Town of Bluffton offices will closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

• Bluffton Municipal Court is canceled Tuesday. Bluffton Court staff will send/contact rescheduled court date defendants. Please contact court@townofbluffton.com or 843-706-4530 for further details.

• The Historic Preservation Commission meeting, which was scheduled for Wednesday, is canceled.

• Waste Management routes will not be serviced for the remainder of Monday and on Tuesday. Depending on storm conditions, Waste Management will decide about the remainder of the week.

1:30 p.m: Addressing fallen trees, limbs

In the midst of a mostly dry summer, officials are hopeful that local soil has “a lot of capacity” to absorb the deluge of water, according to Stephen Combs, a spokesperson for the Bluffton Township Fire District. Even still, fallen trees and damaged power lines are almost inevitable as rainwater disrupts soil across the county, he said. Bluffton firefighters have multiple tree-cutting crews assembled to handle incidents as they come.

1:20 p.m: Hilton Head mayor speaks

During a morning press conference, Mayor Alan Perry said he was concerned residents wouldn’t take the storm seriously because it isn’t expected to bring as heavy winds as previous weather events. Stock up on food and water, stay off roads and secure your home, he encouraged residents.

“This one is different,” Perry said. “It doesn’t bring a lot of the things that we see with some of the other storms, but it does bring something we haven’t seen, and that is a tremendous amount of rainfall.”

The South Carolina Department of Transportation decides whether to close bridges and, while the island’s bridges are currently open, the town’s Emergency Manager Tom Dunn said later closures are a possibility.

12:30 p.m: Power outage information

Dominion Energy, serving over 61,000 customers, showed only two power outages in Beaufort County, according to PowerOutage.us.

Palmetto Electric Cooperative, which serves 53,000 residential and business customers south of the Broad River, including all of Hilton Head, the 278 corridor, Okatie and Sun City, reported no power outages.

Noon: Beaufort County closings

As rain persisted throughout the county, restaurant and business closures began to trickle in.

• R Bar - Bluffton: Closed Monday

• Bee-Town Mead & Cider: Closed Monday and Tuesday

• The Ice Cream Stop - Bluffton: Closing at 5 p.m. Monday

• Haverty’s Furniture: Closing Monday at 3 p.m.; closed Tuesday

• Low Country Shrimp and Knits: Closed Tuesday

• Camellia Art Gallery: Closed Tuesday

• Lettrs Gift Store - Bluffton and Hilton Head: Closed Monday and Tuesday

• Now We’re Talking Therapy Services: Closed Tuesday and Wednesday

The city of Beaufort and the town of Port Royal closed their normal business operations Tuesday as city and town workers prepared for major rainfall amounts from Tropical Storm Debby.

With students’ first day of school on Wednesday, the Beaufort County School District said “it appears likely” the first day would be postponed, according to reporting by The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. The district’s next update would come later Monday.

11:40 a.m: Flood-prone spots

As the deluge continues, here is a general list of the most flood-prone areas in Beaufort County.

• U.S. 278/S.C. 170 interchange

• Bluffton Parkway

• Downtown Beaufort

• Alljoy neighborhood

11:25 a.m: Tornado watch

The NWS issued a tornado watch, which is set to expire at 4 p.m. A watch indicates that tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area.

11:15 a.m: Tropical storm warning extended

The warning was set to expire at 7:15 p.m.

A tropical storm warning means sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph or higher associated with a tropical cyclone are expected in 36 hours or less. Tuesday morning is the earliest Beaufort County could see tropical storm-force winds.

11 a.m: Debby downgraded

Debby was downgraded to a tropical storm, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm was 35 miles west of Lake City, Florida. Tropical Storm Debby had sustained winds of 70 mph and was moving at 8 mph.

10:20 a.m: Marine warning for HHI, Beaufort waters

Until 11:45 a.m., Hilton Head Island and Beaufort waters are under a marine warning. Possible threats include wind speeds greater than 34 knots, large hail and waterspouts.

The service urged mariners to seek safe harbor and take protective actions.

10 a.m: SAV/HHI airport update

A few arriving flight delays and cancellations were listed at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, according to its website.

“Just how many and when will depend on the track of the storm and expected weather conditions,” Lori Lynah, the director of marketing and air service development for the airport, told The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette.

5:15 a.m: Tropical storm warning

The NWS issued a tropical storm warning for Beaufort County. It means sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph or higher associated with a tropical cyclone are expected in 36 hours or less. Tuesday morning is the earliest Beaufort County could see tropical storm-force winds. The warning was set to expire at 1:15 p.m.

If high winds come to the area, the earliest they’d arrive is Monday and could bring winds up to 57 mph. The service also reported that tornadoes are possible for areas mainly near the state’s coast and dangerous marine conditions are expected.

Reporters Evan McKenna, Karl Puckett, Chloe Appleby, Mary Dimitrov and Sebastian Lee contributed to this report.