UPDATE: Here’s how Hilton Head and Daufuskie communities are preparing for Irma

Officials with several private communities on Hilton Head and Daufuskie islands are instructing their residents to prepare to evacuate. Below is a breakdown of the instructions from communities that provided responses. The list will be updated as more information becomes available.

Haig Point, Daufuskie Island

Adam Martin, director of marketing for Haig Point, said the community is keeping residents informed through email blasts, text messages, social media and www.haigpoint.com/hurricaneupdates.

Hilton Head Plantation

The main form of communication with residents will be through email blasts. Peter Kristian, general manager, said the plantation is preparing for evacuation by lowering lagoons and closing some facilities. He said residents have been instructed to have an emergency hurricane kit prepared, and to take in any outdoor furniture, pots, or decorations that could become a “missile” in the storm.

Kristian said he is also asking residents to print out an evacuation form and have it filled out and ready to drop off at the main plantation office if an evacuation is ordered. That way, the plantation will be able to get in touch with residents. Residents can call 1-877-264-5267 at anytime to get the latest information from the plantation on evacuation. Re-entry information will be distributed through email and by calling the information line.

Kristian said he will be the one authorizing re-entry for residents.

“Just because the island is open, doesn’t mean each of the gated communities is open,” he said, noting after Hurricane Matthew the plantation had broken water and sewage lines, and debris blocking roadways. “When all those people come in, it delays the process because you have to worry about their safety.”

Indigo Run

Indigo Run is sending out three email blasts per day and is frequently updating its Facebook page for residents, said general manager Chip Munday.

Residents are asked to make evacuation plans and if possible, to leave before for an evacuation order. If that is not possible, they should at least be prepared to evacuate.

The gated community has begun lowering lagoon water at the direction of the town and is going through the standard operating procedure in place for evacuation, Munday said. Although the county is operating at an OPCON 4 level, Indigo Run is operating at the higher-level OPCON 3, which includes preparing documents and assigning responsibilities to staff if an evacuation order comes, he said.

Munday said he is the point person for authorizing re-entry for Indigo Run residents. After Hurricane Matthew, roads needed to be cleared before some residents could get to their homes, he said.

Palmetto Dunes

Andrew Schumacher, CEO of the Palmetto Dunes Property Owners Association, said the main form of communication regarding hurricane updates and re-entry plans will be through the community’s website and email blasts, which he anticipates sending once per day.

There are no specific instructions for residents other than instructions coming from the county, town and state, Schumacher said. Residents are advised to update their contact information online and pay attention to the county website, local media and the National Hurricane Center, he said.

The community’s 11-mile lagoon system is being lowered as was done during Hurricane Matthew, he said, noting staff plans to get it to a lower point compared to last year.

Schumacher said he will determine re-entry with consent from the association’s board of director and anticipates following direction from Hilton Head Mayor David Bennett. Re-entry information will come through email blasts and the Palmetto Dunes website.

Port Royal Plantation

Email blasts will be sent once a day to residents to keep them informed on any hurricane updates, according to general manager Lance Pyle. The plantation is following all instructions from Beaufort County and the Town of Hilton Head, he said.

The plantation property is being prepared in the event of a hurricane, Pyle said.

Regarding re-entry plans, the plantation will follow Hilton Head’s lead, unless there is a situation in which it needs to “re-evaluate” and keep residents away longer, he said.

Sea Pines Plantation

Sea Pines will communicate hurricane information to residents through its Facebook page, website, email blasts and emergency hotline, 1-866-671-3822. Amanda Sutcliffe-Jones, director of communications for Community Services Associates, said there also is a special web page for Irma updates: www.seapinesliving.com\hurricaneirma

Sutcliffe-Jones said Sea Pines is following standard disaster procedures, and has begun lowering lagoons and other bodies of water in the plantation. She also said other CSA-managed open spaces are being prepared for the storm.

Although no evacuation for Beaufort County had been ordered as of 10 a.m. Friday, Sea Pines is urging property owners to evacuate before the order, according to an email release. The release noted that Sea Pines security will not respond to any emergency calls once an evacuation is ordered.

Residents are asked to secure their homes and outdoor furniture, to lock doors and windows, and to bring important documents in water-tight containers if they evacuate.

If an evacuation is ordered, Sutcliffe-Jones said Bret Martin, CSA president, will instruct re-entry. Information on re-entry will be communicated to residents through the methods mentioned above.

Shipyard Plantation

General manager Sally Warren said the plantation is communicating with residents through its website, Facebook page and email blasts. Residents can also email any questions to HurricaneIrma_SPOA@yahoo.com.

Warren said the plantation is working with the town to prepare for a potential evacuation and will be lowering the lagoons in the community. If an evacuation is ordered, the staff will relocate to Augusta, Ga.

Re-entry will be authorized by Warren, and plans will be communicated to residents through the methods mentioned above.

This story was originally published September 7, 2017 at 1:26 PM with the headline "UPDATE: Here’s how Hilton Head and Daufuskie communities are preparing for Irma."