Sunday storm center: Answers to your questions about Hurricane Irma and Beaufort County
The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette would like to hear from you.
If you have a Hurricane Irma-related question or information you think would be important or helpful to share with others in the aftermath of the storm, please call our newsroom at 843-706-8140, email newsroom@islandpacket.com, comment on this story below or direct message us on the Packet’s Facebook page or the Gazette’s Facebook page.
We will post links to each question here as we answer them, so bookmark this page for the latest information.
A new Storm Center will publish every morning with as much updated information as possible. If you are looking for yesterday’s Storm Center, please click here.
NOTE: THIS PAGE UPDATES SEVERAL TIMES AN HOUR, PLEASE REFRESH YOUR BROWSER FOR THE MOST RECENT INFORMATION
Newspaper delivery has been suspended until further notice. For a list of where complimentary Sunday papers were dropped off, click here.
Re-entry
▪ What are the chances Gov. McMaster will lift the evacuation order for barrier islands?
▪ Why are Hilton Head and other barrier islands blocked to re-entry before any effects from the storm?
▪ When can I return to Hilton Head and other barrier islands?
▪ When can I return home if I don’t live on a barrier island?
▪ Can I return to the barrier islands Sunday?
▪ Can I get back in my Hilton Head gated community if I leave to go somewhere else on the island?
▪ When will the evacuation order be lifted?
▪ I have a re-entry pass to return from evacuation early, will it work?
▪ How long should I expect to be away for an evacuation?
▪ What number should I call for re-entry information?
Curfew
▪ Does the curfew apply to me?
What’s it like out there?
South of the Broad River
▪ The SC National Guard came to Bluffton’s Buckwalter Rec Center, but not to play
▪ High tide off Hilton Head Plantation on Sunday
▪ Hurricane Irma forces Hilton Head church to go digital for Sunday worship
▪ Sunday morning road conditions: Savannah to Bluffton
▪ Evacuation, traffic, curfew smooth so far on Hilton Head as Hurricane Irma heads north
▪ A look at Hilton Head Island as the storm was getting closer
▪ Harbour Town looks like a ghost town before Hurricane Irma
▪ As Hurricane Irma closes in, waves come in at Port Royal Sound
▪ Check surfcams to see how Hurricane Irma is affecting local waters
▪ Big crowds Saturday at Publix in Bluffton
▪ Lots of liquor, traffic and furniture: How the Lowcountry is bracing for Hurricane Irma
North of the Broad River
▪ Floridian evacuates to Beaufort County before Hurricane Irma
▪ Beaufort business owner preps for Hurricane Irma
▪ A look at Fripp Island as the storm was getting closer
▪ A look at Hunting Island as the storm was getting closer
▪ A look at Russ Point Boat Landing as the storm was getting closer
▪ Irma makes turbulent waves, whitecaps on Harbor Island
▪ Check surfcams to see how Hurricane Irma is affecting local waters
Florida and Bahamas
▪ Tampa Bay waters recede as region braces for Hurricane Irma
▪ Massive airborne relief mission en route to Keys to help with ‘humanitarian crisis’
▪ Watch this thrill seeker in Key West humbled by Hurricane Irma
▪ Hurricane Irma drains ocean from Bahamas beach, leaves ‘sea gone dry’
▪ Want to see what Hurricane Irma might have in store for SC? Check out these live streams from Miami
Storm surge
▪ What time are high and low tides during the storm?
▪ What does ‘storm surge’ even mean?
▪ No really, what does ‘storm surge’ mean? I need a visual for this
▪ How much is the storm surge predicted to be in Beaufort County?
▪ How can I tell if my neighborhood is in danger of any flooding?
▪ What kind of damage can storm surge do?
▪ What was the storm surge during Hurricane Matthew?
Shelter information
▪ Update: Which shelters are allowing pets?
▪ Where are the shelters for those who evacuated the barrier islands?
▪ How do I get to a shelter if I don’t have a ride?
▪ Information for undocumented immigrants
Bridges
▪ Which bridges in Beaufort County will be closed during the storm?
Options for making the storm regret its existence
▪ Should I shoot my gun at Hurricane Irma?
Latest information from emergency management and government officials
▪ Sheriff’s Office: Beaufort County’s flooding could be as bad as if we were in storm’s direct path
▪ Governor’s 2 p.m. Sunday update: Evacuated islands, get out now while you can before Irma
▪ Live at 3:30 p.m.: Beaufort County to provide latest on Hurricane Irma
▪ Despite improving Hurricane Irma news for SC, governor urges continued vigilance
▪ Yes, the SC Army National Guard have arrived in Beaufort County
▪ The US Army brings their own gas, but tankers are smaller for good reason
▪ Mayor Bennett responds to Hilton Head evacuation
▪ How do I sign up for alerts from Beaufort County Emergency Management?
▪ Where will Hilton Head’s leaders be if an evacuation is ordered?
▪ I just posted my address on Facebook so someone can check on my house. Was that bad?
This storm is stressing me out
▪ ‘I am seriously stressed!!’ Here’s what the Lowcountry is saying about Hurricane Irma
▪ Feeling numb over another hurricane? Mental health experts have advice for Beaufort County
▪ ‘Sweating bullets’: Beaufort County wary of Irma less than year after Matthew
Information for residents on evacuated barrier islands
▪ Why do I have to evacuate my island while Beaufort and Bluffton don’t?
▪ Are barrier island residents actually evacuating or are they sticking it out anyway?
▪ Should we still evacuate even though Beaufort County is fully outside the cone?
▪ When is the last ferry leaving Daufuskie Island?
▪ Do I need toll money for the Cross Island Parkway?
▪ Should I turn off my water and electricity before I leave?
▪ Leaving a vehicle behind while evacuating or looking for higher ground? Read this
▪ What’s the difference between a “mandatory” and “voluntary” evacuation?
▪ 5 things to know before you decide to evacuate this weekend
Evacuation routes
▪ How to evacuate from Hilton Head Island
▪ How to evacuate from barrier islands north of the Broad River
Traffic and lane reversals
▪ Are there lane reversals anywhere in SC right now?
▪ Check current Beaufort County traffic conditions here
▪ Check current South Carolina traffic conditions here
Savannah
▪ Are drivers allowed to go to Savannah on Sunday?
Power and water service
▪ Will power or water be turned off anywhere in Beaufort County?
▪ Should I turn off my water and electricity before I evacuate?
Hospital information
▪ Where can I have my baby if I go into labor during evacuation or the storm?
▪ Are Beaufort County hospitals still open?
How can I help?
▪ How you can help people affected by Hurricane Irma
The storm’s path
▪ Hurricane Irma’s latest developments, and what you should expect as it nears SC
▪ What does Hurricane Irma’s ‘cone of uncertainty’ mean for SC? 6 things you need to know
▪ How does Hurricane Irma’s track compare to Hurricane Matthew’s?
▪ What it looks and feels like to stand in Category 3 hurricane winds
▪ When is hurricane season over?
Pets (and monkeys)
▪ Update: Which shelters are allowing pets?
▪ Does a South Carolina law force hotels to allow pets during Hurricane Irma?
▪ If we evacuate can I leave my pets at home or at the Beaufort County animal shelter?
▪ 6 things to have in your pet’s evacuation kit
▪ Important information for pet owners
▪ Will the monkeys on Morgan Island be safe during the hurricane?
▪ Do rattlesnakes and flying fish know something about Hurricane Irma that we don’t?
Grocery stores, coffee and restaurants (and booze)
▪ What restaurants were still open in Beaufort County on Saturday?
▪ Which Beaufort County grocery stores are open still?
▪ This Hurricane Matthew food sanctuary hopes to be open for Irma, but don’t expect smokes
▪ If we see any price-gouging in Beaufort, what should we do?
Closures and cancellations
▪ When will Beaufort County and Jasper County students go back to class?
▪ When will county offices and libraries reopen?
▪ With Beaufort County convenience centers closed for Irma, where can I take trash?
▪ Are Beaufort County hospitals still open?
▪ Find a list of Beaufort County’s event cancellations here
For out-of-towners
▪ If Irma forces evacuation, can you get a refund on Hilton Head resort reservations?
▪ How do I sign up for alerts from Beaufort County Emergency Management?
▪ Here are all the contacts you should save in your phone for before and after the storm
▪ Who can I call to get Hurricane Irma questions answered?
How to prepare
▪ How can I safely secure a propane tank during the storm?
▪ You filled your bathtub with water. Now what? Hint: Don’t drink it.
▪ With Beaufort County convenience centers closed for Irma, where can I take trash?
▪ Duct tape won’t cut it. Tips for boarding up your windows
▪ Tips on how to prepare your boat for Hurricane Irma
▪ Where can Beaufort County residents find sandbags?
▪ 6 things to have in your pet’s evacuation kit
▪ Here’s how Hilton Head’s gated communities are preparing for Irma
▪ Important information for pet owners
▪ How do I sign up for alerts from Beaufort County Emergency Management?
▪ What you need to know about evacuating from Beaufort County
▪ Here are all the contacts you should save in your phone before Hurricane Irma
▪ What should I be doing right now?
Related reading
Hurricane Irma
▪ The best Lowcountry tweets about Irma
▪ Hurricane Irma makes 83-year-old retired farmer on St. Helena Island a ‘go-to’ weatherman
Hurricane Matthew
▪ They stayed for Matthew. Will the ‘Daufuskie 100’ leave for Irma?
▪ Here’s what the Lowcountry learned from Matthew
▪ Hurricane Irma: This Delta flight flew right into the storm — then had minutes to escape
This story was originally published September 10, 2017 at 9:45 AM with the headline "Sunday storm center: Answers to your questions about Hurricane Irma and Beaufort County."