Beaufort County Sherriff P.J. Tanner held a press conference this morning. He discussed the county’s current preparations for the possible effects of Hurricane Florence.
While there is not a mandatory evacuation in place, he urged residents to leave if they could, especially those in the low lying coastal areas. Governor McMaster echoed this encouragement at his 2:30 pm press conference.
For both authorities, the biggest concern is rainfall and flooding. Those who have lived in Beaufort County have experienced these effects over the last three years. The county continues to prepare for the possibility of evacuation, by placing law enforcement officials and SCDOT trucks strategically around the county. Sherriff Tanner reassured residents this morning that this was just a precaution and not an indication of new information. However, the shift in Hurricane Florence and the removal of the mandatory evacuation order is still greeted by mixed responses from residents.
There are still boats in the Beaufort Marina and even businesses who had boarded windows yesterday are now bare. You can even find businesses next to each other, such as Sugar Belle & Motor City Pops, who are preparing differently. On Hilton Head Island, residents are also responding differently. Some are sand-bagging and boarding their homes, while others are patiently waiting.
Beaufort County continues to sit in limbo as it waits to see what Florence will do next.