SC officials report highest wind gust in Beaufort clocked 75 mph

September 27

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.

Tree down off of Ribaut Road on Friday morning, Sept. 27, 2024, after Helene rattled Port Royal, South Carolina.

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.

Preliminary damage reports

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.

Debris across Beaufort’s Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park on Friday morning, Sept. 27, 2024, after Helene blew through Beaufort County, South Carolina.

Below is a following time-stamped list:

7:03 a.m. Thursday: Possible tornado. Pictures relayed of several trees down and minor roof damage on Martinangel Lane near Captain Monroe Lane on Daufuskie Island.
7:16 a.m. Thursday: Possible tornado. Report relayed of a tree snapped and minor debris on Game Land Road.
7:30 a.m. Thursday: Beaufort County Sheriffs Office reported property damage from a tornado on Driftwood Drive on Daufuskie Island.
7:35 a.m. Thursday: Beaufort County Sheriff`s Office reported a tree down from a tornado on Palmetto Bluff in Pritchardville.
3:23 p.m. Thursday: Beaufort Emergency Manager reported a tree down at the intersection of Paige Point Road and Paige Point Blf in Sheldon.
1:24 a.m. Friday: Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport measured a 75 mph wind gust. The sustained wind speed was 51 mph.
1:58 a.m. Friday: South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down on US-21.
7:22 a.m. Friday: Bluffton Township Fire District reported numerous roads closed due to downed trees and power lines.
7:30 a.m. Friday: Bluffton Fire Department reports the following roads are closed due to fallen trees in the Bluffton area: Boundary Street, Buck Island, Old Miller Road, May River Road at Palmetto Buff, New Riverside/Prichardville Street, River Road/Rose Dhu and Masters Way.
7:47 a.m. Friday: May River Road in Bluffton at Rose Dhu is closed due to downed trees and power lines, a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office alert said. There is currently no time for re-opening.