By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Beaufort County started to feel the effects of Hurricane Helene on Thursday afternoon with bands of rain coming into the area as the storm began passing by us to the west.
Despite not striking a direct blow, Helene, then a tropical storm, brought flooding and winds up to 75 mph, leaving fallen trees, debris littering yards and roadways, and downed power lines that left roughly 34,000 without power.
As of 6 a.m. on Monday morning, nearly 3,000 – roughly 3% of customers – were still without power in Beaufort County according to Find Energy.
Thankfully by Tuesday evening, that number was down to 950 customers without power.
Most of the customers who were still without power on Tuesday are serviced by Dominion Energy who announced earlier in the week that they estimated having power restored for most in the county by 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
Three EF0 tornadoes have been confirmed as having touched down in the Beaufort area, two south of the Broad River and one in Dale.
Beaufort County public school students were able to return to the classroom on Tuesday after having eLearning days on Friday, Sept. 27 and Monday, Sept. 30 due to impacts from the storm.
As for water, Beaufort Jasper Water and Sewer Authority issued a statement on Sept. 27 asking customers to limit their water usage through to prevent a strain on the water and sewage systems.
While there were more than 30 deaths reported in the state due to the storm, thankfully there were not any storm related deaths in Beaufort County, according to Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Master Sgt. Danny Allen.
Burton Fire District responded to more than 50 emergency calls related to Helene, mostly for downed trees and wires and electrical fires due to exploding transformers.
Lady’s Island-St. Helena Fire District and Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department received similar calls due to the storm.
The day dock near the Downtown Marina in Beaufort and Henry Robinson Boardwalk at The Sands in Port Royal were both partially destroyed in the storm.
According to a social media post by the Town of Port Royal, the observation tower at the boardwalk is still in place, but it will not be available until it is evaluated by a structural engineer to ensure that it is stable.
Boats moored in the Beaufort River near downtown Beaufort and docked at the Downtown Beaufort Marina were dislodged and pushed onto the banks of the river.
Helping the Highcountry
With things starting to return to normal in the Lowcountry, many are looking to help those affected by massive flooding caused by Helene in the Upstate of South Carolina, eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina.
Former Beaufort mayor Stephen Murray along with several other local businesses including Shellring Ale Works and Schiller-Hamilton Law Firm, have been collecting donations of goods to deliver to western North Carolina later in the week.
Murray posted on Tuesday that he and Sea Eagle Market’s Craig Reaves had already delivered one load of needed goods to three different locations to help those who have been left with nothing as their homes and towns were destroyed in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
For those who wish to donate money to help aid the relief efforts in North Carolina, here is a list of places that are accepting donations compiled and posted by WNCW-88.7 FM, the radio station for Isothermal Community College in Spindale, N.C.:
State of North Carolina
• Donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund at https://nc.gov/donate
Buncombe County (Asheville region)
• To donate: helenedonations@buncombecounty.org
• To volunteer: helenevolunteers@buncombecounty.org
American Red Cross North Carolina
• To make a financial donation, call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767), text HELENE to 90999, or visit https://www.redcross.org/donate/dr/hurricane-helene.html
The Salvation Army of the Carolinas
• Donate to the Salvation Army Hurricane Helene Relief at https://bit.ly/3BoOREu
United Way of North Carolina
• Donate to the UW Helps N.C. Helene Recovery Fund at https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/1nSUgw
Operation Airdrop (Concord, N.C.)
• Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts at https://www.operation-airdrop.com/hurricane-helene
Asheville reputable organizations
• https://belovedasheville.com/get-involved
• https://donate.mannafoodbank.org
• https://www.foothillsfoodhub.org/donate
• http://abccm.org/donations/ministry-fund
• https://homewardboundwnc.org
• https://baptistsonmission.org/…/Disast…/Hurricane-Helene
• https://www.nccommunityfoundation.org/news/hurricane-helene
• https://facebook.com/democracygreen
Moving Forward
Beaufort County has announced that the Assessor’s Office has set up a web form for real property owners to self-report structure damage from Hurricane Helene.
“This form is applicable to both Residential and Commercial property owners,” said the release that was sent out on Tuesday, Oct. 1. “If you have damage to a structure on your property, please report it to the Beaufort County Assessor’s Office by either using the form or calling at 843-255-2400.”
They followed by saying that it is important that the damage is reported as it will help Beaufort County to correctly assess and report damage to state and other agencies.
The City of Beaufort announced on Monday that they will perform a one-time pickup of storm debris left from Hurricane Helene on Monday, Oct. 7.
To ensure pickup by Public Works, all debris need to be placed at the curbside in front of homes no later than 7 a.m. on Monday and residents should bag and bundle any debris, if possible.
Large branches and other large debris can be left unbound but they must be at the curbside.
The city has asked that no debris be placed on or next to utilities such as fire hydrants, water meters, electric or cable boxes and telephone poles or pedestals.
Additionally, debris should not be placed under low hanging lines and branches as the knuckleboom trucks might not be able to reach them.
The South Carolina Emergency Management Division has set up a toll-free hotline. Operators with the State’s Public Information Phone System are available 24 hours a day for as long as needed. Hurricane Helene Hotline: 866-246-0133.
United Way of the Lowcountry’s 2-1-1 HELPLINE is active for information and referrals for non-emergency assistance. Reach 2-1-1 by calling 2-1-1, texting 2-1-1-2-1-1, or visiting www.SC211.org.
To receive help with damage, clean up following Hurricane Helene, call Crisis Cleanup at 844-965-1386. Volunteers may be able to assist with mucking out, cleaning trees, tarping roofs, and cleaning debris. All services are free, but service is not guaranteed.
HELP of Beaufort offers clothing assistance, family assistance, mobile meals, financial assistance and is a recognized FEMA disaster relief pantry for Beaufort County.
Hurricane Season runs through the end of November, so be prepared for the possibility that this is not the last of the hurricane-related weather for this year. The National Weather Service is currently monitoring several systems in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico that have the potential to gain strength over the next week.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
