Hilton Head Reporter

The 2022 Hurricane Season begins tomorrow, Wednesday, June 1.

Over the past years, Beaufort County has faced hurricane threats from Hurricane Matthew, Tropical Storm Irma, Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Michael, Hurricane Dorian, and Tropical Storm Elle, to name just a few.

This recent history makes it all the more important for County residents to stay informed and make preparations ahead of a potential storm. This is a good reminder for longtime residents and serves as vital information for all the new County residents.

Visit South Carolina Emergency Management Division's information page hurricane.sc for all the preparation information.

If you’d like to receive direct announcements and alerts from Beaufort County through text or email, sign up by clicking on the link below and entering your information: 

• Beaufort County Government
• Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office

Beaufort County has three different hurricane preparedness videos running on Gas Station TV. Seventeen gas stations around the County are running: 

• Hurricane Preparedness--Are You Ready?
• Hurricane Preparedness--Pet Evacuation
• Hurricane Preparedness--Build a Disaster Supplies Kit

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office’s Emergency Management Division leads the County’s response to natural disasters and will be the primary source of local information when a storm threatens.  

After a storm has passed, operations then shift to the Beaufort County Disaster Recovery.

For regular updates on preparations, County road and traffic changes, live-streams of state and local press conferences, evacuation orders, recovery efforts, County services, and post-storm damage reports, follow:

• Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office
• Beaufort County Emergency Management Division
• Beaufort County Government

Likewise, town and city leaders will regularly update their residents with live-stream videos, messages from elected leaders, and detailed information specific to their localities. Follow:

• City of Beaufort
• Town of Bluffton
• Town of Hardeeville
• Town of Hilton Head
• Port Royal
• Town of Yemassee

Announcements from Gov. Henry McMaster’s office and state emergency management officials can be found on Twitter:

• South Carolina Emergency Management Division
• Gov. Henry McMaster
• South Carolina Governor’s Office

And on Facebook:

• Gov. Henry McMaster
• South Carolina Emergency Management Division

Two important weather sites to bookmark ahead of time are:

National Hurricane Center: The NHC will provide regular updates on the hurricane’s potential timing, path, wind speeds and storm surge. 

National Weather Service: The NWS in Charleston provides more location-specific forecasts for potential flooding and wind speeds. 

Things to consider if an evacuation order is issued: if staying with family or friends who live inland is an option for you, it is a good idea to make those arrangements ahead of time.

If you intend to use a public shelter, the locations of which are outside Beaufort County and will be announced once an evacuation has been ordered, make plans to evacuate early. 

For more tips on what you can do now to ensure the safety of you and your loved ones in the event of a hurricane, click here.

Original source can be found here.