Greetings Island residents,

The 8pm National Hurricane Center gave the storm location as 32.7N 80.9W or about 65 miles west of Sullivan’s Island. The sustained winds were approximately 65MPH with central pressure at 29.09 inches. The forward speed was at 21 MPH to the NE.

At 10PM my hand-held Kestrel wind gauge (or anemometer as Jim Cantore would say) read 26mph sustained at the top of Battery Capron and Butler behind Town Hall. The rain has subsided and the tide drop is very noticeable. I am willing to say that the worst conditions for Sullivan’s Island seems to be over.

The Island lost power approximately 7:20 PM. Dominion responded immediately to my call identifying a problem in the Moultrie sub-station on the SC703 causeway. With the wind dying down, there should be no interruption to your power for the rest of tonight.  If your power was not restored, please check your breaker box and very carefully confirm you line is still connected to the house.  It may be necessary to call Dominion to report the outage. Remember the number to report an outage is 1-888-333-4465.

I believe we will find that the most damage to the Island will be from storm surge. Assessment will begin at first light in the morning.  However, to get a good look at the beach and dunes it may be necessary for the tide to fall a bit. Riding around the Island this evening, it appeared that most of the western end from Station 12 to the harbor had salt water.  Likewise, on the eastern end much of Marshall and parts of Jasper were overcome by saltwater.  Finally, along the back roads like Raven, parts of Thompson and Back Street had saltwater coverage. The lower areas with poor or no stormwater infrastructure such as Stations 18, 18.5 and 28.5, seem to be holding rainwater.  If you must drive through a puddle it may be good to assume the water is salty so be sure to rinse your undercarriage well.  

This is my last report for the evening.  The Town is still well staffed with first responders in the Fire and Police Department.  Always dial 9-1-1 for an emergency. For non-emergency assistance contact them through Charleston County Consolidated Dispatch at 843-743-7200.

Town staff did a phenomenal job preparing the Island for the storm, responding to calls for assistance, and patrolling the streets throughout the event. Be sure to thank them for the effort if you have the opportunity.

Regards,

Andy Benke
Town Administrator
Town of Sullivan's Island
Post Office Box 427
Sullivan's Island, SC  29482
Direct Telephone: 843-883-5726
Facsimile: 843-883-3009
Emergency: 9-1-1
Police and Fire Dispatcher:
43-743-7200
Email address: abenke@sullivansisland.sc.gov
Web address: www.sullivansisland.sc.gov