Trees falling everywhere: Idalia’s modest winds bring outsized damage to Beaufort County
Even before the “highest threat” timing beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Beaufort County saw “significant” numbers of downed trees and power lines throughout Wednesday afternoon as Tropical Storm Idalia crept closer to South Carolina.
Emergency crews responded to 21 fallen trees before 6 p.m. on Hilton Head alone, two of which damaged nearby homes, said Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Maj. Angela Viens. Beaufort County’s communications center received 111 storm-related calls between noon and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. As winds reached speeds of 40 to 60 mph, officials received reports of downed trees and power lines from all across the county.
Tall trees, some in good health and some aging, are often susceptible to toppling onto roadways, houses and other structures because of high winds and soil saturated with moisture from runoff.
Earlier Wednesday afternoon, a tree fell on a car with a person inside on Callawassie Drive, Viens said. The driver was not injured. Beaufort County deputies also responded to a weather-related accident Wednesday evening, when heavy rain caused a car to spin out and crash into the Lemon Island bridge. That driver was also uninjured.
Despite several reports of disabled lines, power outages are on a downward trend in the Lowcountry as of 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Lights were out in 4,729 Beaufort County homes, compared to 8,800 just a few hours earlier. Jasper County outages decreased by 200, leveling out at just above 1,700.
Blackouts are reaching further north as the night progresses. Charleston, Colleton, Hampton and Allendale Counties all reported several thousand outages as of 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Beaufort County had a relatively low outage rate compared to other coastal areas, with only 4% of electric customers affected, compared to nearly 14% in Hampton County, according to live data from poweroutage.us.
This story was originally published August 30, 2023 at 8:04 PM.
