Tropical Storm Debby made second landfall in SC. Beaufort County wakes up to clear skies
At 2 a.m. Thursday, Tropical Storm Debby made a second landfall near Bulls Bay, which is about 130 miles north of Beaufort County.
While the National Weather Service discontinued most of its watches and warnings for the county, a flood warning remained until 3 p.m. and a flood watch was set to expire 9 a.m. Friday. There is no longer a threat for tropical storm force winds in the county, the service said.
In the NWS’ Charleston Office’s final 6 a.m. briefing for the storm, it said Debby will continue to move slowly northwestward and away from the Lowcountry on Thursday.
Since Debby made landfall 7 a.m. Monday as Category 1 hurricane in Florida’s Big Bend region and slowly moved up the Southeast coast, it showered Beaufort County with torrential rain and wiped out power. But as the sun rose and light breeze rustled palmetto fronds Thursday morning, it was a stark difference from the past three days spent inside looking at the relentless downpour and ever-changing weather alerts.
Between Monday and Wednesday, several inches of rain fell throughout the county, flooding some neighborhoods, like Bluffton’s Alljoy, Hampton Hall and The Farm. After lagoons overflowed near Hampton Hall, alligators were seen swimming in the floodwater pooled on front yards and flowerbeds.
On Wednesday, the SC 170 and SC 315 intersection, a main connection to Savannah, Georgia, from South Carolina, via the Talmadge Memorial Bridge, was significantly flooded and closed to drivers.
Trees uproot and snapped, with a notable trunk atop a golf cart. Debby’s brunt came Tuesday evening, triggering tornado warning alerts, dumping sideways-falling rain and wiping out power of over 10,000 county residents. On Wednesday afternoon, the NWS confirmed a “short-lived” EF-0 twister on Lady’s Island.
The county’s beloved sea turtles also took on Debby’s detriments, which became clear when volunteers at Harbor Island discovered 31 dead hatchlings in one nest chamber as they made their rounds patrolling turtle nests.
Early in the week, public county buildings shuttered quickly, including all local government offices and facilities, and the Beaufort County School District postponed its Wednesday start date. Beaufort County, the City of Beaufort, and the towns of Bluffton and Hilton Head Island declared state of emergencies in response to Debby’s wake.
Now, with no direct threats from Debby, Beaufort County can get back to normal operations. The following offices and services were open Thursday:
- Town of Hilton Head Island administrative offices
- Hilton Head beach parks and community parks
- City of Beaufort offices
- Capital Waste Services in Beaufort
- Town of Bluffton offices
- County convenience centers
- Jasper County offices and recycle centers
- Palmetto Breeze/Trolley
Three-day NWS forecast
After days of cooler-than-normal temperatures associated with Tropical Storm Debby, Beaufort County will heat back up, according to the National Weather Service. There is a chance for showers and possible thunderstorms Friday through Sunday.
Friday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Heat index values as high as 108. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Friday night: A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8 p.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 78.
Saturday: A 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. New rainfall amounts of less than 1/10 of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Saturday night: A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 77.
Sunday: A 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.
Sunday night: A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 77.
This story was originally published August 8, 2024 at 10:23 AM.
