What we know about Hilton Head, a month after Matthew

A month after Hurricane Matthew, recovery efforts continue on Hilton Head Island — with months left to go.

Town Mayor David Bennett says staff has worked diligently in the weeks following the Category 2 storm.

“I think it is doing exactly what it needs to be doing,” Bennett told The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette when asked about various restoration projects. “I continue to be impressed with the town staff, debris removal contractors and the progress being made on our beaches.”

Here is a look at where recovery efforts stand now:

Shifting Sand

The town estimates it will spend about $6 million repairing the island’s beaches.

Six-foot storm surges washed away sand and wreaked havoc on sand dunes across the island.

Overall, an estimated 700,000 cubic yards of sand were moved during the storm, said Scott Liggett, the town’s chief engineer and director of public projects and facilities.

“If we were building a project and moving 700,000 cubic yards of sand, it would take a month,” he said. “Hurricane Matthew did this in 12 hours.”

About 6,000 feet of beach in South Beach saw some of the worst damage with the complete leveling of a 75- to 100-foot-wide vegetated sand dune system, Liggett said.

Homes on Piping Plover Road in Sea Pines faced immediate threat from the damage, Liggett said. He said emergency “scraping” was conducted shortly after the storm in the area, which consists of pushing sand into piles to create a barrier system similar to dunes.

The storm moved an estimated 100,000 cubic yards of sand in the South Beach area, he said.

Town officials are discussing plans to add the South Beach area to a $20.7 million renourishment project that was underway when the storm hit.

It is expected that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will approve 75 percent, or an estimated $4.5 million, of the beach repair costs. That would leave the town with about a $1.5 million bill.

Liggett said surveys of the beach wrapped up late this week. He said Thursday he was still waiting for data that will give a more precise estimate on how much sand has shifted from the island’s beaches.

The shifting of sand, however, is not always a bad thing, Liggett said.

At the edge of Port Royal Plantation, Fish Haul Creek finally found enough power in the storm to jump a sand barrier that had been blocking it for decades.

“Sand had built up over time,” Liggett said. “It had created a challenge for the channel.”

The sand buildup caused the creek to carve out a snaking route through the northern portion of the island. Matthew’s storm surge allowed the creek to break down the sand, creating a more direct path over the shore, Liggett said.

“It is now back to its original alignment,” he said. “It will now stay that way indefinitely.”

Big debris-removal bill

Debris removal is expected to be the largest cost the town incurs. Preliminary numbers put the price tag at $35 million, with 75 percent, or $26.2 million, reimbursed by FEMA and the estimated $8.7 million balance covered by the town, according to town documents.

Town Manager Steve Riley said earlier this week that debris removal is expected to last for many months.

Officials had worried the removal process could be slowed as it entered private neighborhoods last week. But Liggett said Friday that it seems to be progressing at an even faster pace than anticipated.

The daily average of removed debris has increased from 15,700 to 18,000 cubic yards, Liggett said. About 87 haul trucks are working to clear the debris.

Private communities moving forward

In Hilton Head Plantation, crews cleared debris this week in the Oyster Reef community, an area that many believe received damage from a tornado.

“Work has been happening in Oyster Reef for some time,” Peter Kristian, plantation general manager, said. “But there is so much debris there. It was hit hard.”

While the plantation overall saw some of the worst damage from the storm, Kristian said, most of the communities amenities are back up and running.

“We have opened four of 12 tennis courts, and the rest should be back online in the next two weeks,” Kristian said. “The roads are clear, and we have opened our pathways.”

Yet, costs remain a heavy concern for the plantation and others on the island.

Kristian estimated the plantation had spent to date more than $600,000 for cleanup. This includes debris removal on roadways immediately following the storm along with cleanup on open-space property.

“We are still spending,” he said.

Sea Pines Resort President Steve Birdwell said Harbour Town Golf Links reopened Wednesday. It was the last of three courses in the resort to reopen following the storm.

“Recovery effort through the island and within Sea Pines has been tremendous, and we’re making progress every day,” he said.

An emergency permit to replace Harbour Town pier and repair docks was approved by the state recently, Birdwell said, noting that contractor Myrick Marine was already making repairs as of Friday.

“All of our dock repairs and the pier replacement will be completed prior to our spring vacation season, well prior to the RBC Heritage,” Birdwell said.

The storm damage has not kept visitors away from Harbour Town, Birdwell said. All of the shop and all but one of the restaurants have reopened, he said, adding that all marine tour and water sport vendors continue to operate out of the Harbour Town fueling dock.

Damaged structures

An overall estimate of hurricane-related property damage on the island was not ready this week, Riley said.

Yet, town staff has completed its post-storm review of all 19,688 structures on the island.

Shawn Colin, town deputy director of community development, said about 14.5 percent, or 2,872, of all structures on the island received some damage.

Of the total, 248 structures had substantial or significant damage, with 39 having damage equaling 75 percent or more of the value of the property, he said.

The town now is focused on processing emergency permits for repairs to damaged structures, Colin said. As of Thursday, 340 emergency permits had been issued, he said.

This story was originally published November 11, 2016 at 3:00 PM with the headline "What we know about Hilton Head, a month after Matthew."