SC governor orders evacuation for these Beaufort County islands before Hurricane Irma

After several days of waiting and watching Hurricane Irma’s path north, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued an evacuation order Friday evening for the barrier islands in Colleton, Beaufort and Jasper counties.

Those islands include Daufuskie, Fripp, Hunting, Harbor and Hilton Head islands starting at 10 a.m. Saturday. The evacuation order does not include Lady’s Island, St. Helena Island or Moss Creek Plantation.

“For the citizens outside of these areas, ... I encourage them to seek shelter if they have concerns for their personal safety,” McMaster said.

For residents on Beaufort County’s barrier islands, lane reversals may go into effect, though no official decision has been made, Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said at a news conference following McMaster’s.

Roadblocks will be set up at 10 a.m. for all barrier islands — one on U.S. 21 and another on U.S. 278 — so once you leave an island, you cannot return until the evacuation order is lifted, Tanner said. Residents will be free to leave the islands at any time, but travel would not be advisable during the storm or the heavy winds ahead of the storm.

Tanner said he expected heavy tree damage “probably a little worse than we had in Hurricane Matthew.”

Anticipate 50 to 70 mph winds late Sunday and into Monday for a period of roughly 12 hours, Hilton Head Mayor David Bennett said.

For perspective, Hurricane Matthew’s winds were recorded at 88 mph on Hilton Head’s airport.

But storm surge remains the greatest concern, county leaders said.

“What we’re primarily concerned with is the storm surge,” said Lt. Col. Neil Baxley. “Our dune line was decimated by Matthew.”

He encouraged residents of the barrier islands to at least rent a hotel room inland or stay at one of two local shelters. Bluffton High School and Battery Creek High School will open as shelters Sunday at 9 a.m.

McMaster suspended tolls on the Cross Island Parkway on Hilton Head.

The last ferry will depart Daufuskie Sunday at noon. Beaufort County evacuation routes can be found here.

The emergency departments at Beaufort Memorial, Hilton Head and Coastal Carolina hospitals were all open as of Friday evening.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office has not announced a time for their next news conference.

Friday’s 8 p.m. weather update from the National Hurricane Center showed Beaufort County outside of Hurricane Irma’s “cone of uncertainty.” More shifts in the track of the storm are expected, however, and it is still possible the storm could affect South Carolina.

Here’s what you need to know 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

This story was originally published September 8, 2017 at 7:50 PM with the headline "SC governor orders evacuation for these Beaufort County islands before Hurricane Irma."