How did Tropical Storm Isaias affect Beaufort County? Here’s a look as the storm passes
Residents, visitors and emergency management officials in Beaufort County braced for heavy rains, wind and possible flooding Monday with the arrival of the season’s first major tropical storm.
But forecasters said the worst effects of Tropical Storm Isaias would be felt further north, where the storm could develop into a hurricane before making landfall close to Myrtle Beach Monday night. The timing of Monday afternoon’s low tide reduced Beaufort County’s risk of serious coastal flooding, meteorologists said.
Some Beaufort County businesses still shuttered early Monday, and local leaders preached precaution, but parts of the county saw little rain as of Monday afternoon. Diners sat outside at restaurants in Old Town Bluffton and in Beaufort, and some visitors said the storm hadn’t changed their plans.
At the Speedway convenience store near the Sea Pines traffic circle on Hilton Head Island, workers blanketed window panes in plywood Monday morning. Restaurant employees stowed outdoor furniture.
But the storm wasn’t enough to send visitors packing.
At the Hilton Head Harbor RV Resort and Marina on Monday afternoon, Rowan Harper and his family packed up their outdoor chairs and rugs outside their massive mobile home.
Harper, of Scottsdale, Arizona, said he expected the storm to be worse but was still taking precautions. He spent the day battening down the hatches and celebrating his son’s 14th birthday as the rain fell.
“We’re going to brave it out. We’re not going anywhere,” he said.
Elsewhere on Monday afternoon, it was business as usual. Further down U.S. 278, an outdoor vegetable and seafood stand remained open. Coligny Plaza filled up as the sun peeked out from the clouds close to 3:30 p.m.
Locally, the storm fell short of requiring a full-scale mobilization of emergency resources. Officials did not open hurricane shelters in Beaufort and Jasper counties.
“If the need arises, we can,” said Jasper County Fire & Rescue spokesperson Garrett Lucas, who added on Monday morning that his office had summoned several extra staff members to work.
Although forecasts predict wind and rain, storm effects minimal
Heavy rain began to fall in parts of Beaufort County just before 10 a.m. Monday.
National Weather Service meteorologist Ron Morales said at a noon briefing that the county’s coastline, including Hunting Island and Fripp Island, had already experienced tropical storm force winds, which were likely to continue through the afternoon.
“Things are looking a lot better,” he said of southern South Carolina. He said an afternoon low tide along much of the coast, combined with a faster-than-anticipated storm movement, contributed to a lower risk of serious storm surge. Charleston County and areas north of it could see greater surge, rain and flooding, according to NWS forecasts.
Isaias is expected to make landfall close to the South Carolina-North Carolina border as a hurricane.
On Friday afternoon, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster said he had no intention of issuing an evacuation order. “It looks like it will not be necessary,” he added. As of Monday afternoon, he had issued no emergency order related to the storm.
The storm’s impacts appeared minimal after morning rains in different parts of the county.
Just before 3 p.m., downtown Beaufort’s waterfront was calm with a slight breeze. Pedestrians walked along the promenade in Henry C. Chambers Park, and music played from a bicycle as a man in a mask pedaled past. Determined shoppers and diners walked on Bay Street.
Light traffic flowed steadily over the Richard V. Woods Memorial Bridge, which remained open.
In Old Town Bluffon, Monday morning’s storms left behind puddles, and downed branches lined Calhoun Street. But after the initial downpour subsided, people began to trickle into restaurants and businesses.
Families and groups dined outside at popular spots like Agave Sidebar and Corner Perk Cafe on Monday afternoon.
On Hilton Head about 2:30 p.m., 3-year-old Powell Sailor dripped chocolate Batman ice cream down his chin in a double stroller with his sibling J.J., outside of Shelter Cove Towne Centre’s Kilwins Ice Cream Shop.
The kids and their parents, Richard and Paige Sailor, were visiting from near Athens, Georgia. The family said they weren’t changing their plans for the day due to Tropical Storm Isaias.
“It’s just one day of bad weather, windy and cloudy,” Paige Sailor said. “We are just out wandering, had some lunch, now ice cream and then shopping.”
Two Beaufort County residents at the Shelter Cove Towne Centre Kroger said they were “grabbing a six pack and going body surfing.” They said they were only half joking.
Precautions taken at some local businesses and hospitals
A tropical storm warning is in effect for Beaufort County through Monday night, and some businesses prepared for the worst.
Isaias is expected to dump a total of two to three inches of rain on much of the county, according to mid-Monday NWS predictions. The rainfall creates moderate potential for flooding on some coastal roads, meteorologists said.
The county could see winds between 39 and 57 mph, raising the potential for downed trees and power lines, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The storm could interfere with some residents’ travel plans.
Roads and bridges in Beaufort and Jasper counties remained open Monday afternoon, although the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office urged residents to stay inside and avoid driving.
On Hilton Head Island this weekend, lifeguards flew flags warning of rip currents in advance of the storm. The Town of Hilton Head closed public beach access points and community parks Monday, saying they would re-open with normal hours on Tuesday.
All Beaufort County and municipal government offices closed at noon.
Restaurants secured outdoor furniture, but few said they would be closed for dinner on Monday.
North of the Broad River, Beaufort Memorial Hospital officials deconstructed COVID-19 staging tents outside the main building due to concerns about wind, said a hospital spokesperson. Pre-surgical testing continued as normal at the medical center.
At Hilton Head and Coastal Carolina hospitals, outpatient coronavirus testing was canceled, according to a spokesperson.
Flooding risk as Isaias passes
Some municipalities in Beaufort County worked to prepare flood-prone areas for bands of rain expected through Monday evening.
City of Beaufort public works employees pumped water from a drainage ditch on Jane Way in the Mossy Oaks area, as they have in recent months in anticipation of heavy rain.
A multimillion-dollar drainage project recently broke ground, and officials hope it solves some of the recurring flooding issues in the area. Until then, city staff are manually clearing water from the canal behind Beaufort Middle School in hopes to prevent major flooding.
While the worst of the storm was expected to spare northern Beaufort County, Beaufort-Port Royal Fire Chief Reece Bertholf said there are still some safety tips people should keep in mind after the storm: Don’t drive through flooded areas, be careful of downed trees and power lines, use care in operating chainsaws and generators, and don’t run generators in enclosed spaces.
Beaufort County residents might be accustomed to hearing similar warnings this time of year.
On a Monday morning live stream, Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka urged residents to view Tropical Storm Isaias as a chance to run through preparations for potentially more serious storms in the coming months.
“This is a good trial run to see what we need to do,” she said.
This story was originally published August 3, 2020 at 3:54 PM.
