Warning: There are no tornado sirens in Beaufort County.
If you live in the Lowcountry, you can’t rely on sirens to warn you that a tornado is coming.
While Chatham County, Ga., has more than 60 emergency sirens, Beaufort County has zero. WCSC-TV reported in 2013 that there are no tornado sirens in the Lowcountry due to their cost.
“(Beaufort) County is pursuing a federal grant to purchase a warning system/sirens,” Capt. Bob Bromage, spokesman for the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said.
Tuesday night brought this issue to the forefront when a tornado was spotted on Tybee Island, just a few miles away from Dafauskie and Hilton Head islands.
Chatham County sirens were blaring as a tornado warning was issued around 6 p.m. Tuesday night and, less than five miles north, the south end of Hilton Head seemed to be oblivious to the severe weather as late rush-hour cars jammed the roads and people went about their day.
Emily Timpte, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Charleston, said there were no tornado warnings issued in Beaufort County on Tuesday night.
“We didn’t think it would go near Beaufort County,” Timpte said. “We base our warnings on the track we see the tornado taking, and it didn’t look like it was going take that path near land.”
WSAV-TV chief meteorologist Kris Allred warned residents on Dafauskie and Hilton Head islands to take cover Tuesday night as the tornado could have shifted from Tybee Island toward Beaufort County.
“Yesterday’s storms were a bit tricky,” Allred said. “They kept trying to rotate, so I said it more as a head’s up to get ready just in case. I would rather someone be warned 15 minutes early and not have a warning issued than told only a few seconds before it hits.”
Timpte said, in the event of a tornado warning, the NWS issues a wireless emergency alert (WEA) to all capable cellphones in the threatened area, similar to an Amber Alert.
But not all cellphones are WEA-capable, especially older cellphones.
Bromage said Beaufort County residents wanting to stay up to date should download the Beaufort County Emergency Management app, available for Apple and android phones, and sign up for Nixle alerts at www.nixle.com.
In the event of a tornado warning:
1. Visit islandpacket.com or beaufortgazette.com for the latest information and updates.
2. Listen to NOAA radio.
3. Move to an underground shelter, basement or safe room. If none is available, a small, windowless interior room or hallway on the lowest level of a sturdy building is the safest alternative. Remember: no area of a mobile home is safe during a tornado. If you have access to a sturdy shelter or a vehicle, go there immediately, using your seat belt if driving.
4. Find a local emergency shelter and know the best routes to get there if you need to.
This story was originally published May 24, 2017 at 6:31 PM with the headline "Warning: There are no tornado sirens in Beaufort County.."