Friday Storm Center: Do you have a question about Hurricane Irma? We’re here to help
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.
NOTE: MUCH OF THE BELOW MIGHT NO LONGER ACCURATE PER THE EVACUATION ORDER ISSUED ON FRIDAY NIGHT FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY’S BARRIER ISLANDS. We are working to update all information below. For the most current information, click here.
The storm’s path
▪ Hurricane Irma’s track continues to shift. Here’s what this means for the South Carolina coast
▪ Every three hours Hurricane Irma’s path is updated. How much can change in three hours?
▪ Where will she go? Watch Hurricane Irma move through the Atlantic
▪ What does Hurricane Irma’s ‘cone of uncertainty’ mean for SC? 6 things you need to know
▪ Big waves on Hilton Head: Hurricane Irma surf report for Friday
▪ How does Hurricane Irma’s track compare to Hurricane Matthew’s?
▪ Check surfcams to see how Hurricane Irma is affecting local waters
▪ How is this going to affect Hunting Island?
▪ What damage has Hurricane Irma done so far?
▪ What it looks and feels like to stand in Category 3 hurricane winds
▪ When is hurricane season over?
▪ How can I tell if my neighborhood is in danger of any flooding?
Deciding on whether to stay or leave
▪ Can I travel to and from Savannah right now?
▪ Confused about evacuation orders? Here’s some clarity
▪ Should I still evacuate now that we’re no longer in the cone?
▪ Where will the evacuation routes from Beaufort County funnel me to?
▪ How do I get to my hotel in Columbia if there are lane reversals?
▪ If an evacuation is ordered, when would it be over?
▪ Which bridges in Beaufort County will be closed during evacuation?
▪ Can I get back on Hilton Head Island after an evacuation starts?
▪ I don’t have anywhere to go. Will there be shelters open?
▪ Does a South Carolina law force hotels to allow pets during Hurricane Irma?
▪ Jasper County urges residents to leave now
▪ Will Parris Island and MCAS Beaufort evacuate?
▪ They stayed for Matthew. Will the ‘Daufuskie 100’ leave for Irma?
Understanding evacuations
▪ Confused about evacuation orders? Here’s some clarity
▪ What does it mean now that the governor of South Carolina has declared a state of emergency?
▪ What’s the difference between mandatory and voluntary evacuation?
▪ If an evacuation is ordered, when would it be over?
▪ How long should I expect to be away for an evacuation?
▪ ‘Friday is a critical day’: Sheriff’s Office talks evacuation, re-entry
▪ What you need to know about evacuating from Beaufort County
▪ The city of Beaufort has declared a state of emergency. What does that mean?
If you evacuate
▪ How do I get on I-95 from the evacuation routes?
▪ SC department hands out cases of water as people evacuate
▪ Where will the evacuation routes from Beaufort County funnel me to?
▪ Should I bring toll money if we get evacuated?
▪ Leaving a vehicle behind while evacuating or looking for higher ground? Read this
▪ How do I get to my Columbia hotel if there are lane reversals?
▪ Where will the lane reversals be in Beaufort County?
▪ Here is what you need to know about Beaufort County evacuation routes
▪ 5 things to know before you decide to evacuate this weekend
▪ Don’t have a reliable car or a place to evacuate to? You’re covered.
▪ Which bridges in Beaufort County will be closed during evacuation?
▪ Can I get back on Hilton Head Island after an evacuation starts?
▪ When is the last ferry leaving Daufuskie Island?
▪ Some early re-entry passes will not be honored in Beaufort County
▪ What are Beaufort County’s evacuation routes?
▪ Should you turn off your water and electricity in SC during Hurricane Irma evacuation?
▪ If we evacuate can I leave my pets at home or at the Beaufort County animal shelter?
▪ Airlines offer cheap tickets to get people out of Hurricane Irma’s path
Evacuation routes by area
▪ From St. Helena and Lady’s islands
Lane reversals
▪ Where will the lane reversals be in Beaufort County?
Traffic
▪ What I-95 on the Georgia border looked like Friday morning
▪ What I-95 at Exit 8 looked like Friday
▪ Check current Beaufort County traffic conditions here
▪ Check current South Carolina traffic conditions here
Pets and monkeys
▪ 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?
Gas and supplies
▪ Where can I still get coffee in Beaufort County?
▪ Which Beaufort County stores are open still?
▪ Hurricane supplies are flying off shelves
▪ This Hurricane Matthew food sanctuary hopes to be open for Irma, but don’t expect smokes
▪ Is it true places are already running out of supplies in Beaufort County?
▪ If we see any price-gouging in Beaufort, what should we do?
Closures and cancellations
▪ With Beaufort County convenience centers closed for Irma, where can I take trash?
▪ Beaufort County, Savannah airports operating normally, watching Hurricane Irma
▪ Are Beaufort County hospitals still open?
▪ Which Beaufort County stores are open still?
▪ Where can I still get coffee in Beaufort County?
▪ Find a list of Beaufort County’s event cancellations here
▪ Beaufort County School District, other schools announce Irma closures
▪ Will there be ACT testing in Beaufort County this weekend?
How to prepare
▪ Will South Carolina residents be able to get emergency medication refills before Hurricane Irma?
▪ You filled your bathtub with water. Now what? Hint: Don’t drink it.
▪ Who can I call to get Hurricane Irma questions answered?
▪ 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
▪ Should you turn off your water and electricity in SC during Hurricane Irma evacuation?
▪ 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
▪ The best Lowcountry tweets about Irma
▪ How you can help people affected by Hurricane Irma
▪ Where will Hilton Head’s leaders be if an evacuation is ordered?
▪ ‘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
▪ Here’s how Hilton Head’s gated communities are preparing for Irma
▪ Beaufort businesses are preparing for Irma
▪ Hurricane Irma makes 83-year-old retired farmer on St. Helena Island a ‘go-to’ weatherman
▪ When is hurricane season over?
▪ First images from Hurricane Irma in Caribbean: Widespread destruction
▪ Hurricane Irma: This Delta flight flew right into the storm—then had minutes to escape
▪ ‘Sweating bullets’: Beaufort County wary of Irma less than year after Matthew
▪ Do rattlesnakes and flying fish know something about Hurricane Irma that we don’t?
▪ With Hurricane Irma gaining strength, here’s what the Lowcountry learned from Matthew
This story was originally published September 8, 2017 at 8:50 AM with the headline "Friday Storm Center: Do you have a question about Hurricane Irma? We’re here to help."