Evacuation, traffic, curfew smooth so far on Hilton Head as Hurricane Irma heads north

It was quiet overnight Saturday in Beaufort County as Hurricane Irma made its way to the continental United States.

There were no major accidents in the county as people continued to evacuate from Hilton Head Island and other barrier islands, said Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Bob Bromage. Traffic is expected to continue to flow smoothly Sunday, he said.

In addition, there were no reports of major criminal incidents on the evacuated islands during the 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew put in place by the Sheriff’s Office.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster called for an evacuation of Hilton Head, Fripp, Daufuskie, Harbor and Hunting islands, along with a few other sparsley populated barrier islands in the region, effective at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Although Hurricane Irma’s projected path has shifted westward, which will likely cause the brunt of the storm to likely miss coastal South Carolina, Beaufort County is still expected to experience considerable storm surge expected to peak late Monday morning.

This story was originally published September 10, 2017 at 8:49 AM with the headline "Evacuation, traffic, curfew smooth so far on Hilton Head as Hurricane Irma heads north."