Port Royal bridge closed Monday because of high winds from Irma

The McTeer Bridge in Port Royal was closed Monday morning after high winds from Tropical Storm Irma headed into South Carolina, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office sent out the Nixle update at 10:21 a.m., after warning county residents to stay inside and avoid driving because of high winds. About 12,000 electric customers in the county have lost power as a result of the winds, which have reached 60 miles per hour, according to the latest updates from utilities.

The worst of Irma’s effects — which was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm Monday morning — are expected to hit the Lowcountry Monday afternoon. Beaufort County is expected to see storm surge as well as high winds.

This story was originally published September 11, 2017 at 10:44 AM with the headline "Port Royal bridge closed Monday because of high winds from Irma."