Hurricane Idalia Advisory #1

​Hurricane Idalia Advisory #1
August 29, 2023 – 11:00 am

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), Tropical Cyclone Idalia has strengthened into a hurricane as of early Tuesday morning. As the storm tracks across the eastern Gulf of Mexico, it is expected to gradually strengthen, becoming a major hurricane on Tuesday night. According to the current forecast track, Idalia is expected to make landfall between Tampa and the Big Bend region of Florida on Wednesday morning as a major hurricane. Thereafter, Idalia is forecast to track along or near the Georgia and South Carolina coast as a Tropical Storm late Wednesday morning through Thursday morning.

The Town of Seabrook Island is expected to experience impacts from Idalia over the next 24-48 hours. The NWS has issued a Tropical Storm Watch, Storm Surge Watch and Flood Watch for portions of the Georgia and South Carolina coasts, including Seabrook Island. The greatest impacts are expected to occur late Wednesday morning through early Thursday morning.

While the track, intensity and timing of Idalia are still being refined, the NWS has advised that the following impacts are possible in our area:

• Heavy rainfall and flash flooding: Up to 4-8 inches of rain is possible across southeastern Georgia and South Carolina.
• Strong, gusty winds: The probability of tropical storm force winds remains moderate to high, especially along the coast. Wind gusts of 60 mph or higher are possible along the coast.  
• Storm surge/coastal flooding: A storm surge of 2-4 feet is possible along the coast. Based on the timing of the current forecast track, the Wednesday evening (~8:30 PM) high tide cycle could produce the highest water levels.
• Tornadoes: There is a risk for tornadoes across the coastal counties of southeastern Georgia and South Carolina during the day Wednesday and into Wednesday evening.
• Rip currents, high surf, and significant beach erosion are possible along the coast.

Storm impacts, including localized flooding, storm surge, wind damage and power outages are possible. Berkeley Electric Cooperative has advised the town that it is continuing to monitor the forecast for Hurricane Idalia and is preparing for a storm response within its service area.

The Town of Seabrook Island remains at OPCON 3 (Normal Operations) and will continue to monitor the storm. It is expected that the town will increase its readiness position to OPCON 2 (Likely Disaster Impacts) on Wednesday morning.

Residents, property owners and visitors are advised to monitor local media outlets for updates on Hurricane Idalia. Forecasts are also updated regularly on the National Hurricane Center website at www.hurricanes.gov.
 
Residents, property owners and visitors are also encouraged to review and be ready to implement their hurricane preparedness plans. Additional resources may be found on the town’s website at https://www.townofseabrookisland.org/emergency-resources.html. In advance of anticipated storm impacts, residents are encouraged to secure or remove outdoor objects, such as lawn furniture, garbage cans and other materials, which may be blown by the wind.
 
Property owners and managers with rental guests should forward this information to their rental guests. Owners and managers of commercial establishments are also encouraged to share this information with their employees.
 
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Official updates from the town will be posted on the following town channels, as warranted:

• Website: www.townofseabrookisland.org
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/townofseabrookisland
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/seabrookislnd87

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DIAL 911 FOR EMERGENCIES. Emergency calls to 911 should be reserved for life-threatening situations, or for the reporting of a crime or fire. Do NOT call 911 if you have water in your home unless your life is in danger. Do NOT call 911 to report a power outage. Power outages should be reported directly to Berkeley Electric Cooperative.
 
Charleston County Citizen’s Information Hotline. The Charleston County Citizen’s Information Line will be activated on Wednesday at 8:00 am. For questions concerning non-emergency assistance during a state of emergency, contact the Charleston County Citizen’s Information Hotline at (843) 746-3900.
 
Power Outages. Power outages may be reported to Berkeley Electric Cooperative by phone at (888) 253-4232 or online at https://www.berkeleyelectric.coop/.
 
Sign up for CodeRED. The Town of Seabrook Island uses the CodeRED emergency notification system. Click here to register for CodeRED alerts.