Wedding & Event Venue Near Bluffton, SC.

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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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After a night of heavy, whistling winds and widespread power outages across the county, Hilton Head Island emerged from the storm largely unscathed. In fact, the island was as lively as ever.

Residents and visitors were out and about in large numbers in the Coligny Beach area, chatting over the noise of workers’ leaf blowers and trees rustling in the still-strong wind. Bicyclists navigated through paths and parking lots strewn with leaves and tree branches. Business owners launched cleanup efforts, preparing for the surge of customers that would come with the warm weekend.

Hilton Head dodged the brunt of overnight damage from Helene, which was downgraded to a tropical storm early Friday morning as it launched a deadly onslaught in Florida and Georgia. With most of its electric lines located underground, the island was safe from the on-and-off power outages that still plagued surrounding areas well into Friday morning.

And while the storm system already promised pricey rehabilitation efforts in northern Beaufort County — washing boats into backyards, damaging docks and flooding Beaufort’s waterfront park — damage appeared minimal on Hilton Head. With a broom and some determination, most evidence of the previous night’s conditions could be swept away by the morning’s end.

Crews from Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue responded to about 40 storm-related incidents between midnight and 9 a.m. Friday. The agency reported 35 downed trees, two of which damaged buildings, according to spokesperson Joheida Fister.

Dozens of walkers and bicyclists on Coligny Beach braved the continuing strong winds Friday morning, even with small children and dachshunds in tow. At times, gusts reached above 30 mph on the low-tide sands, which were littered with seaweed and other small pieces of debris.

Pittsburgh natives Ted and Andrea Swoger had vacationed in Hilton Head for about 20 years, but Helene was the first real storm they experienced on the island. They began their stay at the Seaside Villas at the beginning of the week and didn’t think once about cutting it short due to the weather.

“We walked the beach this morning like we always do, just to see what was happening,” Andrea Swoger said. “We didn’t have any bad experience.”

After their walk, the Swogers sat down for breakfast at Sweet Al’s Cafe, watching Hilton Head wake up around them.

“Looks like the island’s up early, cleaning up,” Andrea Swoger said with a smile.

This story was originally published September 27, 2024, 11:47 AM.

At the southeast corner of New Riverside Road and S.C. 46, “coming soon” signs are popping up throughout the New Riverside Village, a 35-acre development of homes, shops restaurants and a park. In February 2020, Bluffton Town Council approved the initial master plan for the development, and now, the majority of storefronts have been secured by tenants.

The town-owned village pond, surrounded by a paved walking path, separates two sides of retail and restaurant development. On one side, Compass Commons at New Riverside, a development of The Richardson Group, a real estate development and management firm, will expand across four buildings and 16,000 square feet. The seven tenants, five of which have confirmed leases, are each businesses that have already established roots in the Lowcountry.

Lee Lucier, Chief Operating Officer of The Richardson Group, said that their goal was to help local businesses that “were part of the thread of the community already” to continue building their portfolio:

According to Lucier, two additional tenants will join the confirmed five, but logistics are still being worked out. There is also one additional space available for lease that has yet to be filled, Lucier said.

Lucier predicted that the majority of the shops would open up after the new year in January. The Frosty Frog and Local Pie will come on board by March.

AVTEX Commercial Properties, led by Tex Small, is developing on the opposite side of the pond.

So far, according to Small, these tenants include:

The Bluffs Spa is set to open by next week. Depending on permitting from the town, they are aiming for all of the stores and restaurants to be open by the first quarter of 2025, Small said.

Despite “coming soon” signage, Olive & Fig will not be opening up its second location in the New Riverside Village community according to Small. There has been great interest in the storefront from other potential tenants, but no official letter of intent has been signed, he said.

This story was originally published September 26, 2024, 9:05 AM.

The Island Packet

843-443-2417

Chloe Appleby is a general assignment reporter for The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette. A North Carolina native, she has spent time reporting on higher education in the Southeast. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from Davidson College and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.

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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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Several hours before Hurricane Helene was expected to hit Florida’s Big Bend region, radar indicated that it was “likely” a brief tornado touched down in Beaufort County.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Emily McGraw said the service had seen some damage like snapped trees and debris early Thursday morning. However, whether a tornado caused the damage is not confirmed, McGraw said. The NWS issued a tornado warning at 7 a.m. Thursday and it was lifted at 7:45 p.m.

At about 7:03 a.m., tree damage was seen on Daufuskie Island, McGraw said, and at 7:15 a.m., trees were snapped and minor debris shown around Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton.

The NWS will confirm possible twisters and make an official statement at a later date, McGraw said. Any damage can be reported to the National Weather Service at inws.ncep.noaa.gov/report/.

A tornado watch was issued for Beaufort County at about 8:35 a.m. It’s set to expire at 9 p.m.

The area has the potential to get “many tornadoes.” The highest level of tornado activity is expected Thursday evening and overnight.

Frank Strait, the state’s severe weather liaison, said a tornado outbreak at night is “never a good thing,” as people are usually sleeping and miss warnings.

“It’s important to have tornado preparations in place ahead of Helene,” Strait said. “Decide on your best shelter area in advance, as you might not get much lead time. Tropical tornadoes often hit fast without much lead time on warnings.”

There are no tornado sirens in Beaufort County, so it’s vital to ensure residents and visitors have a system to get alerts — a reliable phone app, television, radio or access to an online newspaper.

CodeRED: Download the free CodeRED Mobile Alert app from the Google Play or iTunes store.

Everbridge: Download the free Everbridge app from the Google Play or iTunes store.

Other options: NOAA weather radio, news media coverage, Emergency Alert System on radio and TV broadcasts.

This story was originally published September 26, 2024, 11:17 AM.

The Island Packet

-843-593-7313

Sarah Haselhorst, a St. Louis native, writes about climate issues along South Carolina’s coast. Her work is produced with financial support from Journalism Funding Partners. Previously, Sarah spent time reporting in Jackson, Mississippi; Cincinnati, Ohio; and mid-Missouri.