Jasper and Beaufort Brace for Tropical Storm Debby

As things heat up a notch, folks in both Jasper and Beaftort counties are on their toes, awaiting the rumored landfall of Tropical Storm Debby. As of 11 am on Sunday, this storm was hanging out about 400 miles south-southwest of beautiful Savannah, GA, and the same distance southwest of Charleston, S.C, promising to bring some rather rough weather our way.

State of Emergency

Stuffy suits in shiny offices aren’t known for taking things lightly, and this storm’s no exception. In fact, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster upped the ante today at 1pm when he went ahead and declared a State of Emergency. His message clear as crystal – keep tabs on the local forecasts and do all that you gotta do to stay safe. This state of emergency isn’t just a fancy title, it also allows all the state departments to pool their resources and get their ducks in a row, just in case Debby decides to play rough. According to the weather wizards at the National Weather Service in Charleston, Debby’s gusting winds are clocking about 65 mph so far.

Sandbag Pickup in Beaufort County

The silver lining in all this gloomy forecast is the fact that the good folks in Beaufort County have gone ahead and set-up two locations where locals can drop-in and pick-up sandbags to protect their homes. The deal is pretty sweet too – you can grab up to ten sandbags per person while supplies last. These two locations are 9 Benton Field Road in Bluffton and 80 Shanklin Road in Beaufort. You just have to hit up a Public Works employee and those sandbags are yours, for free! This is a first-come, first-serve affair and it starts at 1p.m. and goes on till 5p.m. today, so better make it snappy!

Jasper County Watches On

Meanwhile, in Jasper County, officials are keeping a hawk-eye on the storm, with an ear to the ground for possible flooding and hefty winds by the wee hours of Monday. And here’s a quick heads-up – to keep themselves informed, residents can sign-up for Everbridge.

Watches issued by National Weather Service

The gurus at the National Weather Service have picked up their red pens and issued both tropical storm and storm surge watches for the Beaufort and Coastal Jasper counties. Going by their predictions, Debby is poised to strengthen into a full-fledged hurricane by Monday, causing serious damage along its path.

Stay Secure and Prepared

Given the potential for such a disaster, it’s time to buckle up and secure all loose items in your yard, clear out the gutter, store away important documents, and stock-up on essentials like water, non-perishable food, flashlights, etc. Don’t forget to keep your phones charged and have a battery-powered or hand-crank radio handy to stay updated.

Potential Impacts of Tropical Storm Debby

The National Weather Service ain’t shying away from saying this might be bad, like really bad. We’re talkin’ about possible catastrophic flooding – up to 20 inches, or even 30 in some spots. This kind of downpour could trigger widespread flash flooding, making roads impassable, and leaving bridges weakened or washed out. As per the weather folks, we might even see the rivers and streams overflow their banks, turning into raging torrents.

Tropical Storm Debby is not to be taken lightly. So, let’s all stay safe out there, heed the warnings, and brace for what might be coming our way. There’s no harm in being prepared.