Update: Ahead of TS Debby, Beaufort Co. under storm surge warning, tropical storm watch
Ahead of Tropical Storm Debby’s predicted path to the Lowcountry, local officials placed Beaufort County under a tropical storm watch Sunday and warned of the potential for significant rainfall.
Hilton Head, Bluffton and Beaufort are expected to get about 20 inches of rain from the tropical system through Thursday, according to maps from the National Weather Service. Beaufort County was under tropical storm and flooding watches Sunday. A tropical storm watch means possible life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the coastline within the area in the next 48 hours, the service said.
At 5 p.m., the NWS issued a storm surge warning, which is triggered 36 hours before the potential for hazardous flooding conditions. Earlier Sunday afternoon, Gov. Henry McMaster declared a State of Emergency in preparation for the potential effects of Tropical Storm Debby.
“With a potentially significant rainfall event forecast for the next few days, it is critical that residents in potentially affected areas start making preparations and plans today—in case it is necessary to take quick action,” McMaster said in a news release.
On Sunday morning, the NWS’Charleston Office said there could be “historic” rainfall amounts in the Lowcountry, which would begin in the evening and last through Thursday. Rainfall totals could be between 10 and 20 inches, with the possibility of local amounts up to 30 inches, according to the NWS. Widespread severe flash flooding is likely for much of the area, the service said.
“For an event of this duration, these amounts have a 0.2% to 0.1% chance of happening in any given year,” the NWS wrote in an 11:30 a.m. briefing.
Frank Strait, South Carolina’s severe weather liaison, said that rainfall totals for the next week, based on Saturday computer models, were “downright scary.”
“Let’s hope and pray that the models are overdone!” Strait said.
Local meteorologists also flagged for moderate wind and storm surge impacts. Between 2 and 4 feet of storm surge inundation over normally dry tidal/near tidal regions is possible. Coastal flooding from storm surge and above-average astronomical tides will likely affect some or all South Carolina’s coast Tuesday through Thursday, Strait said.
If high winds come to Beaufort County, the earliest they’d arrive is Monday morning and could bring winds up to 57 mph. The service also reported that tornadoes are possible for areas mainly near the state’s coast and dangerous marine conditions are expected.
At 5 p.m. Sunday, Tropical Storm Debby was 120 miles west of Tampa, Florida, and had sustained wind speeds of 65 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm was moving 12 mph.
Continued strengthening is forecast, the center said, and Debby is expected to become a hurricane by Sunday evening before it reaches Florida’s Big Bend coast. The NHC predicted that as the storm moves inland, it will weaken Monday and Tuesday.
NWS explains impacts
Wind
- Damage to porches, awnings, carports, sheds, and unanchored mobile homes
- Unsecured lightweight objects blown about
- A few trees snapped or uprooted
- Some roads impassable due to debris, particularly within urban or heavily wooded locations
- Hazardous driving conditions on bridges and other elevated roadways, especially for high profile vehicles
- Isolated to scattered power and communications outages
Storm surge
- Areas of inundation of saltwater along immediate shorelines and in low-lying spots farther inland near rivers and creeks, with storm surge flooding accentuated by waves
- Damage to several buildings, mainly near the coast
- Sections of near-shore escape routes and secondary roads become weakened or washed out, especially in normally vulnerable low spots
- Moderate to major beach erosion with heavy surf breaching dunes
- Strong and numerous rip currents
- Minor to moderate damage to marinas, docks, boardwalks and piers
- Several small craft broken away from moorings, especially in unprotected anchorages
- Some navigation aids possibly displaced well off station, creating difficult navigation near inlets and waterways
Flooding rain
- Small streams, creeks, canals, and ditches may become raging rivers with strong currents
- Flood control systems and barriers could become stressed or overwhelmed
- Flood waters will enter many structures within multiple communities, some structures becoming uninhabitable or washed away
- Flood waters could render escape routes impassable
- Streets and parking lots become rivers of raging water with underpasses submerged
- Driving conditions become impossible and life threatening
- Widespread road and bridge closures with most weakened or washed out
- Drinking water and sewer services could be negatively impacted
- Hazardous containers and materials could possibly be present in flood waters
Tornado
- Isolated tornadoes can hinder the execution of emergency plans
- Isolated locations could experience tornado damage, along with power and communications disruptions
- In isolated locations, tornadoes could damage trees, vehicles, boats and buildings, especially mobile homes and other poorly constructed structures
How to prepare
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department shared the following tips to prepare for the incoming weather system.
- Secure outdoor items such as trash cans, patio furniture, hanging planters, and any other items that may become airborne
- Ensure all drains near your home are free of debris
- Keep in mind when preparing your animals ahead of the storm, that it’s against the law to abandon or tether an animal during a named storm
- Stay off the roads unless it’s necessary to travel
- Do not drive through flooded roads
- When crossing elevated roads and bridges is not safe during periods of high winds
- The South Carolina Department of Transportation determines if bridges will close, not the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. Currently, all bridges remain open
- Report power loss to your power company
- Dominion Energy
- Downed power lines or outages: 888-333-4465
- Gas leaks: 800-815-0083
- Palmetto Electric Cooperative, Inc
- Outages: 866-445-5551
- Dominion Energy
- Report downed power lines and trees by calling the sheriff’s department’s non-emergency dispatch line at 843-524-2777
This story was originally published August 2, 2024 at 12:55 PM.
