Agente Hipotecario in Beaufort, SC

With long lines forming at early voting polls, voters in Beaufort County may find that casting their ballot in the late afternoon will save them the most time.

Early voting in the county is available from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, from Oct. 21 to Nov. 2., according to the county’s website. As of the third day of early voting in Beaufort County, 10% of registered voters — or about 12,600 residents — have already cast their ballots, said Marie Smalls, the director of the board of voter registration and elections for Beaufort County.

In South Carolina, early voting saw a record-breaking turnout on opening day, according to the state’s election committee. However, for the county, Smalls said it is challenging to make direct comparisons to previous years since this is only the second time the state has offered early voting since 2022.

“We kind of expected a high turnout, and I think for Beaufort County, it’s probably a little bit higher than expected,” Smalls said. “But I’m so happy that it is what it is.”

Early morning hours — around 7 to 8 a.m. — typically see the longest lines, Smalls said. Midday tends to offer a break, with shorter wait times, though lines pick up again in the early afternoon. Residents who are looking to avoid crowds should go to poll locations around late afternoons, particularly from 5 to 6 p.m., she said.

Polling locations specifically in Bluffton and Hilton Head have seen a steady turnout, Smalls said, with average wait times on Monday reaching no longer than 1 to 1.5 hours but decreasing since then.

Beaufort County offers four early voting centers:

Smalls encourages voters to check their sample ballots and verify their Election Day polling locations through the MyscVOTES website. To vote, residents will need to bring a qualifying ID, which may include a South Carolina driver’s license, motor vehicles ID card, voter registration card with photo, federal military ID or U.S. passport, according to the state’s election commission website.

She also emphasized that strict measures are in place to prevent voter fraud, and local election officials are confident in the integrity of the system.

This story was originally published October 24, 2024, 10:56 AM.

Hurricane Helene’s wrath spawned three EF-0 tornadoes in Beaufort County between Thursday and Friday mornings, according to the National Weather Service’s Charleston Office.

On Wednesday, nearly 24 hours before the first twister touched down on Daufuskie Island, the NWS urged residents to prepare for scattered tornadoes, as meteorologists said the storm system had a “very good” setup for tornadoes to form.

Hurricanes and tropical storms can lead to the formation of tornadoes, because as the outer bands of a storm reach land, winds are slowed closer to the ground but remain strong at higher altitudes. The difference causes wind shear, which is a variation in wind speed and direction at different heights, and creates the spin required for tornado formation.

The first blaring of a tornado warning came at 7:05 a.m. Thursday, quickly following an EF-0 tornado that was packing 80 mph winds and had touched down on Daufuskie Island near Driftwood Cottage Lane at 7:03 a.m. The twister, which covered 6.66 miles and had a path width of 150 yards, spun northward across the island and lifted north of Big House Plantation Road near Myrtle Island on the mainland, according to the NWS.

At 7:18 a.m., a second warning rang out. Two minutes later, an EF-0 tornado with maximum winds of 76 mph touched down near Headwaters Road in Palmetto Bluff near Pritchardville, the service reported. The twister, which traveled 1.27 miles and had a 100-yard path width, rotated north and crossed the far western marshy area of the May River before crossing May River Road. The tornado dissipated north of May River Road.

Shortly after midnight, at 1:29 a.m. Friday, an EF-0 tornado with maximum winds near 70 mph hit the Gardens Corner area, north of Beaufort. The twister touched down southeast of Washington Farm Road, then spun northwest across Stroban Road near Daniels Drive, according to the NWS. The rotating system, which covered 3.87 miles and had a 175-yard path width, then crossed US Highway 17 before dissipating in a marshy area.

Based on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, tornado ratings account for estimated wind speeds and related damages. An EF-0 tornado must have an estimated 3-second wind gust between 65 mph and 85 mph.

As of Monday morning, NWS Meteorologist Jonathan Lamb said the three tornadoes were the only confirmed in Beaufort County so far. Most recently, in early August, the NWS reported two short-lived EF-0 twisters, one on Lady’s Island and the other on Saint Helena Island, as a result of Tropical Storm Debby.

This story was originally published September 30, 2024, 12:47 PM.

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Expected to reach Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday, the predicted incoming impacts for Hurricane Helene triggered a tropical storm watch for the Lowcountry.

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During a statewide Helene update at 2 p.m. Friday, Gov. Henry McMaster said there were possibly more power outages from Helene than any other storm in recent history. He urged residents to exercise patience with getting power restored.

From the early morning, when about 1.3 million electric customers in South Carolina were without power over 50,000 lacked electricity in Beaufort County, nearly 38,000 Dominion Energy and Palmetto Electric customers were without power.

More than 10,000 Palmetto Electric customers were still without power, according to Hunter. The majority of powerless customers, around 6,300, live in Jasper County.

About 1,600 of their Beaufort County customers are dealing with outages. Additional crews from Alabama are coming to assist the energy cooperative to restore power, Hunter said.

About 30,000 Dominion Energy customers in Beaufort County and 5,000 customers in Jasper County were still without power, according to Fischer.

Crews are continuing to make good process restoring power as the day goes on, Fischer said.

A surge of customers had restored power, dropping the percentage without from 47% to 36%. About 38,200 Beaufort County Dominion Energy customers didn’t have electricity at 11 a.m., and over 3,450 Palmetto Electric customers hadn’t had power restored.

Cars were seen lining up for gas around at the Parker’s convenience store on S.C 170 near Callawassie Drive, which was open for business while widespread power outages shut down most gas stations north of the Broad River.

The line inside stretched to the back of the building. Many patrons were emergency service workers who had come for their fix of morning coffee.

About 43,000 Dominion Energy customers in Beaufort County and 7,000 in Jasper County were without power according to Paul Fischer, the energy company’s spokesperson.

Fischer said the outages were a result of widespread damage from downed trees and severe winds overnight. The energy company worked throughout the night to restore power in areas where crews could work safely, and they will continue to work around the clock to get power restored, he said.

There was not a precise timeline for when power would be restored for customers, Fischer said, but that with declining wind speeds and the benefit of daylight Friday morning, crews would be able to work more safely to address outages.

Tray Hunter, Palmetto Electric’s vice president of marketing and public relations, said at 7 a.m. Friday that the vast majority of outages were tied to fallen trees on transmission lines.

Once transmission is back up, Hunter said the 21,000 outages would drop down to 5,000 or 6,000 customers without power. Those remaining customers are located in rural areas.

Widespread outages began at about 1 a.m. Friday and escalated up until 5 a.m. due to high winds.

While crews were out, Hunter said they were cutting down trees in roads just to get through to affected areas. Between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., crews from Palmetto Electric and other electric teams had to stop responding to outages because of dangerous high winds.

At about 7:10 a.m., Hunter said crews were packing up to go out again.

“Once it’s light, we can see what we’re actually dealing with,” Hunter said.

He was hesitant to say when power would be restored, because once transmission comes back up, there can still be trees on lines that feed between homes and substations. It could be 30 minutes, once the crews get out. In some areas it could be the afternoon.

Hunter said he is hopeful everyone’s electricity is back on Friday. However, power restoration could come late Friday or Saturday.

Hilton Head Island fared well, with only three customer outages as of 7:15 a.m., Hunter said, adding that it’s due to the island’s underground power lines.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office alerted that they had received dozens of reports of downed trees and power lines in the county.

Weather forecasters said that by sunrise in South Carolina, Helene’s effects would slow, including a reduction in strong winds and scattered rain. While thousands are without power in the county, residents will have to brave an 84-degree high temperature. Beaufort County does not have shelters for those without electricity.

To report outages, call the following numbers:

For downed trees and power lines call the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office’s non-emergency dispatch line at 843-524-2777.

The Town of Port Royal was without power as Helene battered the Lowcountry with high winds, leaving streets and neighborhoods in the dark.

Between Dominion Energy and Palmetto Electric Cooperative, 116,091 customers are tracked in Beaufort County. Dominion Energy was reported nearly 37,000 customers were without power and Palmetto Electric had 20,000 in need of electricity, according to PowerOutage.us.

Residents in some portions of the town, along Ribaut Road, the main north-south road through the area, were without power.

A tropical storm warning was in effect until 7 p.m. Friday, the National Weather Service said. A tornado watch remained in effect until 8 a.m., and a high surf advisory will remain in place until 8 p.m.

On Thursday evening, the National Weather Service placed Beaufort County under a tornado watch until 8 a.m. Friday, shortly before a tornado warning expired at 9:15 p.m. Thursday. A tornado watch means twisters are possible in and near the watch area, which typically covers multiple counties or states.

Helene made landfall at 11:10 p.m. Thursday about 10 miles west-southwest of Perry, Florida, as Category 4 hurricane 140-mph winds and continued to track north.

This story was originally published September 27, 2024, 6:41 AM.

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Expected to reach Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday, the predicted incoming impacts for Hurricane Helene triggered a tropical storm watch for the Lowcountry.

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As the sun rose in Beaufort County on Friday, clear damage from Helene’s wake quickly came into focus, with fallen trees, debris littering roadways, downed power lines and thousands without electricity.

During a statewide Helene update at 2 p.m. Friday, Gov. Henry McMaster said there were possibly more power outages from Helene than any other storm in recent history.

The National Weather Service’s John Quagliariello said at the update that Beaufort clocked the highest wind gusts of 75 mph. Quagliariello said the service issued 63 tornado warnings across South Carolina. It’s unknown how many were actual tornadoes, he said, adding that over the next few days the service’s survey teams will assess and then confirm twisters.

Crews were working diligently in Beaufort County into the afternoon, shoring up debris, fallen limbs, restoring power and making roadways safe to travel. While some damage cleanup, a portion of May River Road between Buckwalter Parkway and Old Miller Road will be closed for an extended period of time due to downed power lines and trees, according to an email from the Town of Bluffton’s spokesperson Debbie Szpanka.

Szpanka said Dominion Energy is working through its list of repairs. The road is expected to be closed through the day and into the evening

Early Friday morning, Stephen Combs, Bluffton Township Fire District public information officer, said the storm damage the service was responding to is “extensive.”

Combs said later Friday that the service had responded to 130 calls in the past 24 hours, which “far exceeds what we had even during Hurricane Matthew.”

Fire departments across Beaufort county have had a busy 12 hours responding to storm related calls. Between midnight and 9 a.m. Friday, Hilton Head Island Fire responded to 35 downed trees, two of which involved damage to buildings, according to spokesperson Joheida Fister.

Around 6 a.m., Scott Harris of the Lady’s Island-St. Helena Fire District said that there many trees and power lines down and debris on the roadways.The Beaufort/ Port Royal Fire department had responded to 12 storm related calls by 6 a.m., according to Deputy Chief Ross Vezin.

On Hilton Head Island, a beach patrol truck drove along the sands of Coligny Beach at 9:30 a.m., flying a red flag to indicate a high risk of rip currents due to Helene. The beach was dotted with seaweed and other small debris as the wind whipped against walkers on the coastline. In anticipation of tropical storm-force winds, Hilton Head Island’s beach patrol had secured all fold-able rental chairs to posts near the sand dunes.

Despite the conditions on the island, mostly remaining strong winds, several groups of bicyclists and walkers were seen dodging piles of debris on the outskirts of Coligny Beach and many ventured into the area to assess local damage.

In Burton, its fire district responded over 50 emergency calls related to Helene, according to a Friday news release from the district. Several of the emergency calls were for wires and trees down, and electrical fires involving exploding transformers.

Burton firefighters also responded to a house fire before 1:30 a.m. Friday on Winsor Road in Shell Point, along with six emergency calls for trees falling on homes with trapped people who had to be rescued in three of the incidents. A woman was trapped in a vehicle after she struck a tree that had come down across the road of Trask Parkway and Seabrook Center Road. The district said no serious injuries were reported in any of the incidents.

Between Thursday and Friday mornings, the National Weather Service’s Charleston Office had received nine preliminary local storm damage reports due to Helene. The reports ranged from felled trees to possible tornadoes.

Below is a following time-stamped list:

If you have damage in your area please email information, photos and or video to newsroom@islandpacket.com

This story was originally published September 27, 2024, 8:40 AM.

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Expected to reach Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday, the predicted incoming impacts for Hurricane Helene triggered a tropical storm watch for the Lowcountry.

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Storm surge and high winds from Tropical Storm Helene hammered Port Royal’s iconic boardwalk and beached several boats in Beaufort early Friday morning.

“It’s crazy,” said Bay Street resident Mike Milano. “There’s four boats washed up in my backyard right now.” His home is on the Beaufort River.

The high winds and surf pushed boats around like toys and several were seen on the riverbank, presumably washed there from the mooring field attached to the Beaufort Marina. The rough water also heavily damaged the public landing dock at the marina, which appeared to have snapped in one place and was underwater. Waves lapped at the promenade near the marina where windswept boats were clustered in unfamiliar territory.

To the south in Port Royal, a section of the Henry Robinson Boardwalk on Battery Creek, one of the region’s most popular destinations, was washed away in the storm.

The section between the boat landing and covered pier took the brunt of the damage, Town Administrator Van Willis said.. At 9:30 a.m., the town was in the process of shutting down Sands Beach Road, which leads to the beach and the boardwalk, to the public. “We do not need the public at risk, period,” Willis said.

“The storm ended up being a lot worse than everybody anticipated and we’ve got significant trees down everywhere,” Willis added.

Beaufort City Manager Scott Marshall said late Friday morning that tree damage in the city was significant.

“We literally had dozens of trees down across power lines or across roads,” Marshall said.

The city was assessing the damage to the dock and the marina as well, he said. Marshall counted nine boats that had broken away in the high winds and ended up on the shore.

“It’s more significant I think than any of us had anticipated,” Marshall said of damage from the storm. “Our crews will be busy for a while.”

There were a few reports of large trees falling on houses and cars, including one in the Shell Point area of Port Royal and another at the Hampton Inn on Boundary Street in Beaufort, according to the Beaufort-Port Royal Fire Department.

Milano, the Beaufort resident, walked along the shoreline at around 7 a.m. to survey the beached boats. He noticed that winds knocked down a brick wall near his home and ripped shingles and siding off of his house.

The storm system, which was a Category 4 Hurricane when it made landfall in Florida, had been downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reached Beaufort County early Friday.

As the sun rose Friday morning, it revealed streets littered with tree branches and Spanish moss and traffic lights were dark. A Port Royal officer directed traffic at the busy intersection of Ladys Island Drive and Ribaut Road because the traffic lights were not working.

The sun was peeking through the gray clouds by late Friday morning but Beaufort County was expected to remain under a tropical storm warning until 1:15 p.m.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center said it had received dozens of reports of downed trees and power lines and advised residents to use caution when traveling.

Early Friday morning, Dominion Energy reported nearly 37,000 customers without power but electricity was being restored in some locations as the morning progressed. Palmetto Electric initially reported more than 20,000 customers without electricity.

This story was originally published September 27, 2024, 9:30 AM.