Wedding & Event Venue Near Hilton Head Island, SC.

After reaching Category 5 status early Friday morning, Hurricane Lee was downgraded to a Category 4 shortly before noon. However, forecasters still expect Lee will be a powerful storm.

Overnight Thursday, Lee’s maximum wind strength more than doubled, reaching 165 mph and briefly making it the eighth Category 5 hurricane since 2016. By around noon, Lee’s winds had dropped down to 155 mph, making it a Category 4 storm.

“Fluctuations in intensity like what has occurred this morning are not uncommon in intense hurricanes,” the National Hurricane Center said in an 11 a.m. Friday advisory. “Although Lee’s current intensity is lower than the overnight peak, the hurricane remains very powerful.”

On Friday morning, Lee was expected to “maintain its intensity,” with its core predicted to move “well north” of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 5 a.m. advisory. Lee was moving west-northwest at 13 mph, and forecasters say the forward motion will continue through early next week with a significant decrease in speed, based on the forecast.

“Although the hurricane is incredibly powerful, its wind field is not particularly large with its tropical-storm-force winds extending roughly 100 n mi (nautical miles) from the center,” a forecasters’ report noted.

Because Hurricane Lee is remaining in “favorable” atmospheric conditions, whirring into warmer waters in the coming days, the storm is predicted to remain a “powerful hurricane.”

“There likely will be some weakening beyond a few days when Lee moves over somewhat cooler waters and into an environment of slightly higher shear,” the center said. “Regardless of the details, Lee is expected to remain a powerful hurricane during the next several days.”

Eric Blake, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center, mentioned how “unusual” the 2023 Atlantic water temperatures are compared to 40 years ago. In 1983, waters east of the Leeward Islands were about 81.5 degrees during this time. Now, the water is nearly 4 degrees warmer, at 85.1 degrees.

The warmer water “arguably doubles or triples the chance of rapid intensification,” Blake wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Beginning Friday, life-threatening rip currents and dangerous surf are likely to impact the Leeward Islands and will reach to Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas and Bermuda.

While it’s still too soon to know how Hurricane Lee will impact North America, some spaghetti models — a data visualization method that shows possible storm tracks — show the storm curving north in the Atlantic and coming precariously close to Eastern New England and the Canadian Maritimes. Regardless, the U.S. East Coast cannot ignore Hurricane Lee despite the storm being more than a week away from possible impact to North America.

The National Weather Service’s Charleston Office said that, between Friday and Tuesday, “there could be a considerable change in seas due to long period swells arriving” from Lee, despite the distance of the storm to the Carolinas. A small craft advisory may need to be issued, said NWS Charleston Meteorologist Courtney Maskell during a Friday weather briefing.

On Friday morning, the Hurricane Center said dangerous surf and rip currents are expected along most of the U.S. East Coast beginning Sunday.

Hurricane Lee briefly joined a group of seven notorious Category 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic since 2016:

Early Monday morning, Tropical Storm Margot formed, bringing maximum wind speeds of 40 mph about 590 miles west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands.

National Hurricane Center forecasters predict Margot will strengthen into a hurricane by Sunday. To do so, Margot’s winds would need to reach at least 74 mph. Currently, Tropical Storm Margot is no threat to land.

This story was originally published September 8, 2023, 8:28 AM.

Are you looking to upscale your Lowcountry garden this fall?

The Coastal Discovery Museum will host its popular Native Plant Sale from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 23. The museum’s plant sale is set to feature over 90 native plant species to cover attendees’ landscaping needs. Items such as vines, blooming bushes and butterfly friendly plants will be at the sale.

Included in the over 90 differing native plant species are gardening favorites such as four different species of milkweed (Asclepias), false indigo (Baptisia), black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) and native ferns, including southern shield fern and southern wood fern.

The milkweed plant is considered one of the most popular native plants at the sale, as it is the monarch butterfly’s host plant in addition to the also popular native azaleas.

The museum will have a majority of the native Lowcountry butterfly host plants available, given that they are an important asset to any garden and are used by native butterflies to lay their eggs and raise their larvae.

The Coastal Discovery Museum’s native plant sale occurs twice a year in both March and September, which are two of the best months to plant, said Wendy Dickes, the museum’s manager of horticulture.

The summer is often too hot and the winter too cold for plants to get established in the area.

Fall is a great time for planting. It is the recommended time to plant trees and shrubs because the plants are not growing as they do in the spring and can put their energy into getting established. Also, the museum has evergreen plants, and the other plants are perennial, meaning they may go dormant if we have a cold winter, but they will be established in time to come back in the Spring, Dickes said.

Regardless of a little wind or rain, the native plant sale plans to stay open unless storms are prominent in the area or rain begins to consistently pour, then rescheduling may be necessary. However, all the native plant sale volunteers are gardeners. Many are Lowcountry master gardeners and are used to inclement weather.

A list of plants that will be available for purchase at the fall 2023 plant sale can be viewed at .

If you are planning a visit to Hilton Head, indoor activities may not have been on your to-do list. But, when it’s too hot or rainy, having a backup to the beach is always a good idea. Here’s a list of things to do indoors from KAG’s Kristina Hernandez.

When it rains, it pours on Hilton Head Island. The island usually has pretty good weather because of the Gulf Stream just outside the island that pushes storms off it inland. But other times, well, you need to find entertainment indoors because the downpours are pretty epic and there’s no way to enjoy anything outside.

But there are quite a few fun Hilton Head indoor activities and things to do if you’re on vacation and it’s raining. From painting your own pottery to playing skeeball and bowling to visiting free museums and learning about the local environment, this list has you covered!

Adventure Cove Arcade

During your vacation to Hilton Head, indoor activities are inevitable for a least some of the day. Arcades are the fix! While Adventure Cove has two great mini-golf courses, they also have a fantastic indoor arcade that has tons of games, including my favorite: skeeball! I may have sneakily grabbed a few tokens from my kids to play that game.

We were lucky and won 500 tickets on one of the games so my kids were thrilled when they got to choose two little unicorns from the prize table. We only planned on spending maybe an hour here but ended up leaving after almost three hours because it was so much fun!

18 Folly Field Road, Hilton Head Island, SC843.842.9990

The Sandbox Children’s Museum

My kids (ages 8 and 5) absolutely loved this hands-on children’s museum right in the heart of the island. Everything about The Sandbox invites children to use their imaginations and play freely. With two floors of more than 11 hands-on exhibits, plan to spend at least a couple hours here, perfect for a rainy day. They also have free family fun nights in the spring, fall, and winter and Parents Night Out during the summer months.

80 Nassau Street, Hilton Head, SC843.842.7645

The Art Cafe

The owners of Rockfish Restaurant and the Art Cafe came up with the genius idea of Kids Night Out so parents could have a date night at the restaurant while kids painted pottery upstairs and had dinner at The Art Cafe. We tried Kids Night Out and it was a huge hit. They even got dinner and ice cream while painting their pottery. You can also just go and paint pottery with your family there on a rainy day!

5 Lagoon Road, Hilton Head Island

Coastal Discovery Museum

I visited the Coastal Discovery Museum at the end of our trip but I’d recommend visiting instead at the beginning because you can learn all about the local ecosystem and what you will be seeing on the island. They have a kid’s room with an adorable replica of a loggerhead turtle nest plus books, educational toys, and fish tanks.

There is an enclosed butterfly garden that is freestanding and you can see the cocoons of various species of butterflies. There is a beautiful walking path that goes into the adjoining marsh, lined with oak trees and Spanish moss. Admission is free but they have several tours and events, like a Meet the Critters for kids, that do have fees associated.

70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island843.689.6767

Kazoobie Kazoos

This is off HHI but nearby and a fun experience as it’s the only kazoo factory that imprints kazoos (like for companies, events, fundraisers) and one of only two in the entire country. They make around 5,000 kazoos per day!

You can take a tour of the factory and then make your own kazoo. This is a unique opportunity to learn about the instrument that dates before the First World War. The tour is really neat – they show you all kinds of different kazoos and whistles (my kids loved this part) and a short video about the history of kazoos. Then you get to see the inside of the small factory and then, of course, make your own kazoo.

12, 4290, John Galt Rd, Beaufort$14.50/adult, $11.50/kids, ages 3 and under are freeTours are Monday-Friday 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, and 2 pm

Port Royal Sound Foundation Maritime Aquarium

You could do this place and Kazoobie Kazoos on one rainy day as they aren’t far from each other. The Port Royal Sound Foundation Maritime Aquarium is totally free and sits on the Port Royal Sound and features all kinds of fish, baby alligators, turtles, and a vast amount of really neat history behind the surrounding waters. It’s not that big, which is great for the smaller kids, but is packed with interesting exhibits and a little area where kids can color.

310 Okatie Hwy, OkatieOpen Tuesday-Friday 10 am – 5 pmSaturday 10 am-4 pmFree

Station 300

Located in Bluffton, just outside HHI, Station 300 is a bowling alley with an arcade and restaurant. If you visit on a rainy day during the summer, don’t forget to sign up for Kids Bowl Free beforehand as they are a participating bowling alley!

25 Innovation Drive, Bluffton843.815.2695

While Hurricane Lee stayed in a steady state overnight and into Thursday morning, National Hurricane Center forecasters said significant strengthening of the storm would begin ramping up in the afternoon and into the weekend.

As of 11 a.m. Thursday, it already had.

Lee reached Category 2 hurricane status before noon, packing 105 mph maximum sustained winds. The storm was moving 15 mph west-northwest about 870 miles from the Northern Leeward Islands, an 11 a.m. center advisory said. The Leeward Islands are a cluster of islands situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic.

Lee is expected to reach its peak intensity this weekend, with its core moving north of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Tropical storm conditions could effect some of those islands over the weekend.

“The question doesn’t appear to be if RI (rapid intensification) continues, but rather how strong Lee will get, and how quickly will it get there,” a center report said Thursday.

Forecasters predict that this weekend, swells spawned from Lee will reach parts of the Lesser Antilles, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and the Bahamas and Bermuda on Friday. The increased wave heights can cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Within the next two days, forecasters say Lee’s winds could reach at least 157 mph, which would make it a Category 5 hurricane.

“Fluctuations in strength are likely from days 3 to 5 due to potential eye wall replacements, but Lee is still expected to be a dangerous hurricane over the southwestern Atlantic early next week,” a 5 a.m. National Hurricane Center discussion document said. Thursday

The National Weather Service’s Charleston Office said between Friday and Tuesday, “there could be a considerable change in seas due to long period swells arriving from distant Tropical Cyclone Lee well off shore.”

Part of Hurricane Lee’s track depends on “how strong and expansive the Bermuda-Azores high is at the time,” said Jonathan Erdman, a senior meteorologist at weather.com. Ultimately, the high pressure system acts as a “steering wheel” of the hurricane.

If the Bermuda-Azores high is weaker and less expansive, it means the hurricane could re-curve into the central Atlantic and not threaten the United States’ mainland. But if the high is stronger, more expansive and builds westward, it could move the storm farther west and “become a threat” to parts of the United States’ East Coast.

Still, it’s too soon to know whether Lee would cause any destruction. Many spaghetti models — a data visualization method that shows possible storm tracks — show the storm curving north in the Atlantic and staying far from shore. The closer together those lines are, the higher the confidence in track. Current models depict Hurricane Lee moving northwest and leaving Bermuda more at risk than the United States.

What was labeled a disturbance in the tropical eastern Atlantic early Thursday morning, strengthened into a tropical depression before noon. Tropical Depression 14, 150 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and is moving 17 mph. west-northwest.

National Hurricane Center forecasters believe the depression will gain enough strength later Thursday to be deemed a tropical storm. If so, and if no other storm beats it to the punch, the tropical storm would be named Margot.

This story was originally published September 7, 2023, 9:29 AM.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (WSAV) — Idalia brought wind speeds of more than 60 miles per hour and heavy rain to Beaufort County. Now that the storm is gone, clean-up crews across the county got to work.

Lucky for them no one was hurt, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

“The storm jogged to the west a couple of times. It became this dry spot within the eastern side of the storm. And when it came through, it came too pretty fast,” Hilton Head Island Mayor Alan Perry said. “And we didn’t experience the winds that we thought we were going to have. And so we didn’t have the storm surge. And, you know, that’s so fortunate.”

The storm still left its imprint on the island. The streets were littered with tree limbs and debris.

“About 30 trees down. Everything’s isolated, though. Any impacts are isolated, whether it’s some sand scraping on the beach, trees that have impacted some homes, downed trees across parking lots or pathways,” said Marc Orlando, town manager of Hilton Head Island. “And the impacts, though, are manageable. And we’re back at it today cleaning up, assessing and making sure everybody’s okay.”

One of those was at the Publix on the north end of the island.

However, two of the island’s baby sea turtles nests were lost in the storm, according to The Hilton Head Island Sea Turtle Patrol.

“If the water comes up and sits on the nest. It will drown the nest because the eggs and if there are hatchlings in there, they have to breathe,” Carrell Cranswick said.

Thousands in Jasper and Beaufort counties lost power at some point during the storm as well.However, all in all, the island woke up feeling relieved.

“We are beyond blessed. You know, our neighboring communities, they got hit hard and they’ve got a lot to deal with,” Mayor Perry said. “But also, we want our residents and guests to know that when these storms come around, they’re serious.”

Town officials say they’re grateful that the island was mostly spared, but preparations like this could be dress rehearsals for the next big storm.