As potentially record-breaking rainfall picked up in Beaufort County overnight, firefighters and law enforcement responded to hundreds of calls related to Tropical Storm Debby. Flooding is widespread in several areas, but no major injuries were reported as of Tuesday morning.
Officials continue to urge residents to stay home if possible — but if you are venturing out, avoid these areas.
To share photos of storm damage or advise our reporters about flooded or dangerous areas, email [email protected] after reporting conditions to the proper authorities.
Bluffton
U.S. 278/S.C. 170 interchange: The on-ramp from S.C. 170 (Okatie Highway) to U.S. 278 (Fording Island Road) remained closed as of 10:30 a.m. Tuesday as rainwater continued to pool onto the often-flooded interchange.
The Farm at Buckwalter: The low-lying neighborhood in southern Bluffton has been the epicenter of flood-related calls, according to Stephen Combs, a spokesperson for Bluffton Township Fire District. Police are asking residents to stay home as multiple portions of the community, especially near its center, are blanketed in water:
-
Mill Pond Road
-
Old Bridge Drive
-
Cattle Run Way
Floodwater had entered several houses in The Farm as of Tuesday morning, Combs said, partly because cars moving through the water were creating waves and pushing it farther up. He urged residents to avoid driving or walking in floodwater for the safety of themselves and others.
Bluffton Park: Avoid Red Cedar Street, 3rd Avenue and 4th Avenue. A nearby lagoon has begun to spill over into the street, according to Bluffton police.
Officials in Bluffton were reporting no major injuries as of Tuesday morning, according to Combs. Even when a car hydroplaned into a retention pond in the Hampton Hall community Monday night, the driver escaped safely.
Port Royal
Firefighters in Port Royal responded to a dozen storm-related calls overnight, including one fallen tree that brought minor damage to a home but did not displace residents, according to spokesperson Assistant Chief Ross Vezin.
Jasper County
The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office urged drivers to avoid the following areas due to flooding:
-
I-95 Exit 22 ramps
-
I-95 Exit 33 ramps
-
West Frontage Road
-
Rice Shire Road between Bees Creek Road and Coosaw Scenic Drive
-
Coosaw Scenic Drive north of Salzburg Landing Road
-
Bees Creek Road between Rice Shire Road and Kyle Lane
Langfordville Road: Ridgeland resident George Tallmage reported a large washout near the back road’s intersection with Firetower Road, about two miles off of U.S. 278.
In Hardeeville, police are reporting flooding in the following areas:
Source Agencies
