From The Blog

Storm Cleanup and Damage Assessment Underway

The sun is shining on Kiawah today, and all roads are currently passable. Flooding has receded, but yesterday’s storm left heavy debris across the island. Cleanup is just beginning, and may take several days to complete.

A damage assessment is also underway. Be aware that roads, boardwalks and leisure trails may have heavy debris or damage.

Use caution when navigating the island today.

This page will be updated as the results of the damage assessment come in.

Damage Assessment

Roads
Island roads are in generally good condition with the exception of debris, standing water in some areas and washed out areas on Sea Marsh Drive, Virginia Rail Road and Blue Heron Pond Road. Roads on the west end of the island and major roads on the east end of the island have been cleared. Road cleanup work will continue this week.

Boardwalks
The beach suffered some erosion and therefore many boardwalks incurred damage. Nine KICA boardwalks have been damaged and are closed: 0, (Timbers), 1 (Duneside), 8A (Sandcastle), 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15 (Eugenia), and 39 (Flyway). A structural engineer is currently assessing all of the boardwalks.

Leisure Trails
The main leisure trail along the Kiawah Island Parkway and Governors Drive is in good condition and has been initially cleared from the main gate to the second intersection of Flyway Drive. Other trails will be inspected later this week as trail cleanup continues. Use caution on the trails!

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Severe Weather Communications

In the event of severe weather, the depend on your local news sources for official weather forecasts and local flooding information: National Weather Service: Charleston, Live 5 News, ABC News 4, Count on News 2, and Post & Courier. The Town of Kiawah Island is responsible for emergency management and severe weather notices for the island. Alerts are shared through their CodeRed system with options to receive them by phone (voice and text) or by email. Be sure to sign up for CodeRed here.

Coastal Flooding

Kiawah is a barrier island so coastal flooding is always a possibility in the event of a storm. A tide over 7.5 feet can cause inundation and will prevent draining until it drops. The forecast for yesterday’s storm predicted a 6-foot tide and it came in just under ten feet, which is unprecedented. This storm was a reminder to take the appropriate precautions to prepare your personal property, even if the forecast doesn’t indicate a high probability of flooding.

View Kiawah’s predicted tide levels, and actual tide levels here. As pictured below, water may cause flooding on some roads at 7.5 feet and will likely cause flooding on the Kiawah Island Parkway (outside of the main gate or near Fire Station 4) at 8 feet.