Hilton Head: Flooding? Hurricanes? (Charleston, Hilton Head Island: power lines, condo, mobile home)

[TootsieWootsie]

I noticed a condo building built on stilts in zip code 29928 on Hilton Head, which tells me that there is flooding in Hilton Head regularly. Can anyone shed some light on how often it floods and how badly?
Also, how often is Hilton Head hit by hurricanes? And how badly?
If there is a flood or hurricane--and one bridge--isn't anyone afraid about getting out of the area when this happens? Remember how the roads in Houston going out when they were waiting for the hurricane to hit a few years ago (it was on national news all over the tv)? Scary with a capital S!

[GJBenn85]

Flooding? Regularly? I've been in Hilton Head eleven years, eight full time, and have never seen true flooding. The current minimum elevation of all buildings is 14', I think it used to be 12'. This is why buildings are elevated, not because of frequent flooding. The last real flood was around '93 if I remember right.

Hilton Head has not taken a direct hit by a hurricane in decades. Typically we are hit by the edge of storms and only suffer a few fallen trees. There is no means of judging how bad the damage will be when Hilton Head is directly hit, as the last hurricane hit before there was any significant development. As for evacuating using a single route out, this is why you plan ahead and leave earlier rather than waiting for mandatory evacuation. Beaufort County faces a mandatory evacuation with all category 2 or higher storms.

[TootsieWootsie]

Thank you for the information. I got caught in many hurricanes in Houston, and Hilton Head sounds about the same as what we had. However, flooding is a horrible problem in a number of Texas cities as I am sure you have seen on tv.
The flood of 2001 there, I lost a new car and a room in my house. Not fun times, and that was just flooding. I cannot imagine how devastated cities are by direct hits. And I have no desire to find out either.

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by TootsieWootsie

I noticed a condo building built on stilts in zip code 29928 on Hilton Head, which tells me that there is flooding in Hilton Head regularly. Can anyone shed some light on how often it floods and how badly?
Also, how often is Hilton Head hit by hurricanes? And how badly?
If there is a flood or hurricane--and one bridge--isn't anyone afraid about getting out of the area when this happens? Remember how the roads in Houston going out when they were waiting for the hurricane to hit a few years ago (it was on national news all over the tv)? Scary with a capital S!

Please keep in mind that Hilton Head has a population in the 30,000 range and the Houston area has 5 million - more than the entire state of South Carolina. Hilton Head has only been hit directly by a hurricane once in the last 30 years, which was category one Hurricane David in 1979. Please keep in mind that the news media wants people to watch - therefore hyperbole is a significant part of their mindset. If you want to live in Hilton Head, live in Hilton Head. If you want to live where you don't really have to worry about hurricanes, move inland and away from low-lying areas.

[Geechie North]

Whomever told you David had a direct hit on Hilton Head is relying on faulty memory.

Hilton Head is a barrier island, and barrier islands exist solely to protect the mainland from hurricanes.
A 30, 40, or 50 year interval betweeen hits is zero guarentee that a major one will not strike in the coming season.

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by Geechie North

Whomever told you David had a direct hit on Hilton Head is relying on faulty memory.

Hilton Head is a barrier island, and barrier islands exixt solely to protect the mainland from hurricanes.
A 30, 40, or 50 year interval betweeen hits is zero guarentee that a major one will not strike in the coming season.

I assure you that I know what I'm talking about. While the center of David's eye did not cross Hilton Head (it moved over Savannah), the northeastern eyewall most certainly did. As the crow flies, Hilton Head Island is only 20 miles from downtown Savannah. By the way, the National Hurricane Center considers a "direct hit" to be the following:

Direct Hit:
A close approach of a tropical cyclone to a particular location. For locations on the left-hand side of a tropical cyclone's track (looking in the direction of motion), a direct hit occurs when the cyclone passes to within a distance equal to the cyclone's radius of maximum wind. For locations on the right-hand side of the track, a direct hit occurs when the cyclone passes to within a distance equal to twice the radius of maximum wind. Compare indirect hit, strike.

Glossary of NHC Terms

It never ceases to amaze me how frequently people on here question the statements of another poster, but have no proof to back them up.

[Geechie North]

An eyewall whose top wind gust does not even reach hurricane force (e.g. Level 1, Saffir Simpson Scale) is not truly an eyewall.

My wife, my cousin, his wife, my infant son, my dog, and myself rode out what was hyped (and rightly so, as it was a Cat 5 when it slammed into Dominica (I believe; going off memory on specific island) as "the big one" in my home West Of The Ashley (cousin lived on Lighthouse Point on James Island at the time). It was a moderate rain event (strong tropical storm at the most generous) by the time it hit Ga after rebounding off of Fla around Palm Beach (again, off memory on Fla Landfall.)

Re: Proof:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_David

[edit] Georgia


Hurricane David at landfall in Georgia


Hurricane David made landfall in Georgia as a quickly weakening minimal hurricane, bringing a 3–5 foot (0.9–1.5 m) storm surge and heavy surf. Its inner core remained away from major cities, though Savannah recorded sustained winds of 58 mph (93 km/h) and wind gusts of 68 mph (109 km/h).[1] No major damage occurred in Savannah.[12] High winds downed numerous power lines, leaving many without power for up to 2 weeks after the storm.[13] Offshore, strong seas disrupted a portion of the coastal reef by moving a sunken ship 300 feet (90 m).[14] Overall, Hurricane David was responsible for minor damage and two casualties from its heavy surf.[8]

[edit] Mid-Atlantic and New England

Upon entering South Carolina, David retained winds of up to hurricane force, though the highest recorded was 43 mph (69 km/h) sustained in Charleston and a 70 mph (113 km/h) wind gust in Hilton Head Island. Similar winds occurred in North Carolina, and lesser readings were recorded throughout the northeastern United States, excluding a 174 mph (280 km/h) wind gust on Mount Washington in New Hampshire. In addition, David dropped heavy rainfall along its path, peaking at 10.73 inches (273 mm) in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, with widespread reports of over 5 inches (130 mm). Storm surge was moderate, peaking at 8.8 feet (2.7 m) in Charleston and up to 5 feet (1.5 m) along much of the eastern United States coastline.[1]"


And I stand corrected: It was Vero Beach in Fla, not Palm Beach.

As for Saffir Simpson Scale:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english..._simpson.shtml



[SIZE=2]Category 1 Hurricane — winds 74-95 mph [/SIZE][SIZE=2](64-82 kt)[/SIZE][SIZE=2][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]No real damage to buildings. Damage to unanchored mobile homes. Some damage to poorly constructed signs. [/SIZE][SIZE=2]Also, some coastal flooding and minor pier damage.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]- Examples: Irene 1999 and Allison 1995[/SIZE]

[waccamatt]

The question was whether Hilton Head sustained a "direct hit" and by the National Hurricane Center's definition it easily did. Just because a wind gauge didn't measure more than 70 mph doesn't mean it didn't occur - after all, how many people have wind gauges in their yard (I do) and how many of those amateur gauges are accurate? The northeastern eyewall of David most certainly did cross over HHI. There is no disputing that fact.

By the way, Wikipedia is a weak source of information.

[Geechie North]

Waccamatt,

My youngest son and I "survived" an equally strong squall line on the Isle Of Palms, circa 1991.

If David is your gauge of hurricanes, then I would suggest you've never experienced one.

As for Wikipedia's accuracy, I suggest you go to the NWS, if you feel verification.

But don't expect to find any differences in data.

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by Geechie North

Waccamatt,

My youngest son and I "survived" an equally strong squall line on the Isle Of Palms, circa 1991.

If David is your gauge of hurricanes, then I would suggest you've never experienced one.

As for Wikipedia's accuracy, I suggest you go to the NWS, if you feel verification.

But don't expect to find any differences in data.

I never said David was my "gauge" of hurricanes. The OP was concerned about HHI hurricanes and I explained that the only "direct hit" in the last 30 years was the category 1 David in 1979. You were the one who editorialized.