Hurricanes
in Beaufort
and Hilton Head Island SC
and Hilton Head Island SC
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Hurricanes
in Beaufort and Hilton Head Island SC |
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Hurricane :
Stay or Leave????
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The Beaufort area, including Hilton
Head Island, Sheldon, Lady's Island as well as the barrier islands are considered
"the Low Country". This means the elevation is very low, usually
under 20 feet above sea level. The Beaufort area also has some of the highest
normal tides on the Eastern Coast... about 7 - 8 feet above sea level. The storm surge from a major hurricane, (Category 4-5), could be well over 20 feet. The image shown (left) is hurricane Hugo. The red dot is about the total size and location of the Beaufort and Hilton Head area. We look rather small when compared to the hurricane. Remember, most of Beaufort County is only 10-20 feet above sea level! |
| The worse
case scenario for the Beaufort area is... a Category
5 hurricane hitting near Savannah at high tide. If the hurricane
had a 20 foot storm surge, and a high tide of 8 feet, this would equal a
surge of 28 feet or more. Most of the Beaufort
area would be under water. All of Hilton Head,
Lady's Island, Sea Brook and the barrier islands would be completely under
water. In most places as much as 10 feet or more.
Fast moving - flooding water! Many people who choose to stay, would have
little chance of surviving. Some would drown and be washed out to sea. Rain driven by winds of 140 mph or more would feel like a thousand pellet guns hitting you. Those who did survive, would most likely have the scare of their life. Property damage would be horrific. Of course... this is the worst case scenario! |
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| In a not so worse case scenario, we would have a Category 2 or 3 hurricane hitting the Beaufort area at low tide. In this case, the people living on barrier islands and in mobile homes should leave, as well as other lower lying areas. The surge would likely be under 18 feet at the shoreline and flooding inland would most likely be around 2-4 feet, or less. This is a call you must make. If your property floods at all during a normal thunder storm... it will flood extensively during a hurricane. Coupled with massive amounts of rain and the storm surge, the flooding in these areas can become severe. I strongly suggest going to higher ground. In many areas, evacuation may be ordered by county officials. | |
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If you decide to leave, make sure you leave early. If you wait too long,
the roads may become clogged, impassable or may even close, especially
bridges. If you become stuck here, remember... emergency services may
not respond to an emergency if you have one. This includes police, fire
and rescue. They are going to be busy at their stations and most likely
will not be available for you. You will be your own responsibility and
will have to fend for yourself. That became your choice. |
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