Monday storm center: Answers to your questions about Tropical Storm Irma and Beaufort County
The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette would like to hear from you.
If you have a Tropical Storm 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: INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE MIGHT NOT BE ACCURATE AS OF TUESDAY. CLICK here FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION.
The question on everyone’s mind
Tonight
▪ How worried do we need to be about the next high tide?
Curfew
▪ Does the curfew apply to me?
What’s happening right now
Across Beaufort County
▪ A neighborhood-by-neighborhood look at Irma
▪ Photos of streets and neighborhoods from first-responders
▪ Weakening Tropical Storm Irma still poses a threat to Beaufort County. When will it clear out?
▪ How can I watch live reports of what it’s like in Beaufort County right now?
▪ Check surfcams to see how Hurricane Irma is affecting local waters
▪ What are driving conditions like Monday?
▪ What time are high and low tides during the storm?
▪ How many people are without power?
Bluffton
▪ Neighborhood-by-Neighborhood: Here’s what Irma looks like in Bluffton
▪ Here’s what Moss Creek on Hilton Head looks like from Irma
▪ Irma nails Bluffton with winds, rain and storm surge
▪ May River breaches Alljoy Landing
▪ Hanging out in ‘extreme flooding’ at All Joy
▪ Flooded ramp at S.C. 170 and U.S. 278
▪ Van caught in flooding checked for occupants
Hilton Head Island
▪ Neighborhood-by-Neighborhood: Here’s what Irma looks like on Hilton Head Island
▪ Irma surges onto Hilton Head at Disney Resorts
▪ What a Hilton Head Islander wanderer saw during Tropical Storm Irma on Monday
▪ After Tropical Storm Irma, Hilton Head ‘problem areas’ being reassessed
▪ The island sees major flooding from Irma
▪ How Palmetto Bay Marina fared in Tropical Storm Irma's storm surge
▪ Iconic Hilton Head restaurant gets flooded yet again, but it’s not as bad as it looks
▪ ‘It’s pretty wild’: Tiki Hut on Coligny Beach introduced to high tide
▪ ‘No show tonight folks’: Gregg Russell on Harbour Town flooding
▪ Which roads have been blocked on Hilton Head Island because of Irma flooding?
▪ A drive through Sea Pines and Harbour Town
▪ Downed tree on Beach City Road
▪ High winds at Hilton Head Plantation
▪ It’s low tide at Harbour Town, but it already looks high
▪ Evacuees’ Sea Pines home burns down in their absence
▪ A drive through the wind and rain
Daufuskie Island
▪ A look at how Daufuskie Island fared in the storm
▪ Daufuskie Island: Howling winds and ‘a lot of banging around’
Savannah
North of the Broad River
▪ Neighborhood by Neighborhood: What Irma looks like in Beaufort and surrounding areas
▪ Beaufort: City sees flooding as Irma brought its storm surge
▪ Beaufort: Irma floods downtown
▪ Beaufort: Beaufort River crests at Downtown Beaufort Marina
▪ Beaufort: City awash in Tropical Storm Irma flood waters
▪ Beaufort: A look at the rising water at Brickyard Point landing
▪ Beaufort: 60 mph gusts and rain
▪ Beaufort: A ride through Lady’s Island
▪ Beaufort: Early morning thrashing
▪ Port Royal: McTeer bridge closed
▪ Northern Beaufort County has standing water, downed trees
Jasper County
▪ Minor wind damage, flooded car and an alligator at Jasper County apartment complex
▪ A list of flooded roads, fallen trees
Facebook Live video from Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette reporters on the ground
Hilton Head Island
▪ Jay Karr
Bluffton
Beaufort
Latest information from emergency management and government officials
▪ McMaster on keeping Irma evacuation order: ‘There’s still a lot of danger out there’
▪ Safety tips from Hilton Head Fire & Rescue
▪ Information on Gov. McMaster’s news briefing at 2 p.m. today
▪ Sheriff’s Office warns people to stay inside and off roads and bridges right now
▪ Emergency services restored on Hilton Head; flooding still a concern
▪ Sheriff’s Office: Beaufort County’s flooding could be as bad as if we were in storm’s direct path
▪ How do I sign up for alerts from Beaufort County Emergency Management?
▪ Where are Hilton Head’s leaders during storm?
Power and water service
▪ Thousands without power in Beaufort County so far
▪ Should I turn off my power if my house is flooding?
▪ Will power or water be turned off anywhere in Beaufort County?
Re-entry
▪ I just posted my address on Facebook so someone can check on my house. Was that bad?
▪ When will the evacuation order be lifted?
▪ What number should I call for re-entry information?
▪ I have a re-entry pass to return from evacuation early, will it work?
▪ 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?
▪ Why were Hilton Head and other barrier islands blocked to re-entry?
▪ Can I get back in my Hilton Head gated community if I leave to go somewhere else on the island?
Hospital information
▪ Are Beaufort County hospitals still open?
▪ Where can I have my baby if I go into labor during evacuation or the storm?
Storm surge
▪ Is it OK to wade into a flooded street?
▪ 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?
▪ What time are high and low tides during the storm?
▪ 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?
What it was like just before the storm hit
Beaufort County
▪ 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
South of the Broad River
▪ Bluffton firefighters are ready to go as Hurricane Irma approaches
▪ In good company: These Hilton Head residents are banding together to ride out Hurricane Irma
▪ 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
▪ 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 looked like a ghost town before Hurricane Irma
▪ As Hurricane Irma closes in, waves come in at Port Royal Sound
▪ Big crowds (like way beyond normal) 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
Options for making the storm regret its existence
▪ Should I shoot my gun at Hurricane Irma?
This storm is stressing me out
▪ I’m afraid to ask, but what’s the deal with Hurricane Jose?
▪ Information for undocumented immigrants
▪ ‘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 did I have to evacuate my island while Beaufort and Bluffton don’t?
▪ What’s the difference between a “mandatory” and “voluntary” evacuation?
▪ Did people evacuate or stick around?
Savannah
▪ Are drivers allowed to go to Savannah?
How can I help?
▪ How can I help people affected by Hurricane Irma?
This storm
▪ How did Hurricane Irma’s track compare to Hurricane Matthew’s?
▪ When is hurricane season over?
Pets (and monkeys)
▪ Update: Which shelters were allowing pets?
▪ Does a South Carolina law force hotels to allow pets during Hurricane Irma?
▪ Can I leave my pets at home or at the Beaufort County animal shelter?
▪ 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)
▪ 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
▪ Hurricane Irma brings heroics of Clara Barton alive again across Beaufort County
▪ ‘Go home, Irma. You’re drunk’: How the Lowcountry counted down the hours to the hurricane
▪ 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 11, 2017 at 7:29 AM with the headline "Monday storm center: Answers to your questions about Tropical Storm Irma and Beaufort County."