The Town of Kiawah Island provided the following update on Tropical Storm Debby:
The tropical storm is expected to make landfall in Charleston County tonight, with impacts throughout the county into tomorrow. The primary concerns will be tropical storm force winds (with potential gusts up to 39 to 57 mph) and periods of heavy rain, which are expected to begin this afternoon and intensify tonight. Isolated to scattered power outages and additional downed trees are possible.
Rainfall is expected to continue into Saturday with approximately an additional 2 to 4 inches. With the saturation from the recent rainfall and continued heavy rainfall, this could increase the potential for standing water or flooding in areas.
The next high tide is expected tonight around 11 p.m., which could increase the potential for flooding. View the latest tides through the Town's tide station here. The tide station provides tide predictions and actual real-time tides.
The high rip current risk is still in effect. Please stay out of ocean. Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from the shore into deeper water.
Current Island Conditions
There is still standing water on the island's roads and bike paths throughout the island with some debris in areas. St. John's Fire Department and KICA staff have worked to remove several downed trees. This morning, City of Charleston lifted curfew, and main thoroughfares leading onto the Peninsula have been reopened.
Residents should be cautious through the island, especially as rain continues throughout the day, and to remain indoors as the rain and wind intensify tonight into tomorrow.
Areas throughout Charleston County still have standing water or flooding and some roads may be closed due to structural inspection. Do not drive around barricades or through waters of unknown depths.
Continue to monitor local weather stations for updates.
Island Operational Updates
Below are the current operating statuses:
- There will be no solid waste collection today, Aug. 7 or tomorrow, Aug. 8. Friday's collection will be reassessed tomorrow. Residents are reminded to secure their trash and recycling bins, such as in a garage, to avoid being washed away.
- Town meetings will be canceled until Thursday, weather dependent. The Town Hall Building will be closed with essential personnel on-site and non-essential personnel working remotely. To contact Town staff, residents can call the Town's main line at 843-768-9166.
NEW Homeowners near a Kiawah Conservancy preserved property who have observed fallen trees or limbs posing a threat to their property should contact Land Preservation Specialist Collie Farah via email at collie@kiawahconservancy.org or phone at 843-998-0635. The list of preserved properties can be found here.
Freshfields Village
Any closures will be shared on the Freshfields' website. Harris Teeter is anticipated to stay open and The Station is currently open. The gas pumps will only be turned off if the water reaches dangerous levels.
Kiawah Island Community Association (KICA)
- Gate access for commercial services is expected to reopen on Friday, but has not been officially determined. Exceptions include emergency repair services, with pre-authorization from KICA Security. Property managers will be permitted access beginning on Thursday at noon. For emergency repair authorization, contact securitysup@kica.us to gain authorization and provide the service provider's name, date and time of arrival, and reason for service.
- The Sandcastle is expected to reopen on Friday at 7 a.m. KICA's Beachwalker Center is expected to reopen on Friday at 9 a.m.
The county park is closed today. For the latest operational updates, please visit their website here.
St. John's Fire Department
The St. John’s Fire Department has a high-water vehicle on-hand and stands ready to assist as needed. The department will respond to all calls as safely as possible to do so and based on the volume of calls, may need to triage and prioritize calls.
For the latest operational updates, please visit their website here.
The Town will continue to provide updates to the community and coordinate with island entities as the storm progresses.
Emergency Notifications
The Town of Kiawah Island leads communications in an emergency situation. Be sure to get the latest updates from the town by registering for CodeRED and emergency email notifications.
Residents are encouraged to stay tuned to local weather stations for updated forecasts and information.
Hurricane Guides
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