An Update from

Deputy Town Manager Josh Gruber

9/22/2020

View the Video Update at https://youtu.be/bfmVRNsg4q4

Good afternoon Hilton Head Islanders and Guests,

Here’s an update on what’s happening around Town:

Protecting Our Beach Dunes and Dune Fencing

King tides and wind from passing off-shore storms are leading to higher than normal wave uprush effects on our beach this week. In other words, the wind and tides are pushing more water onto our beaches.

On Monday, the high tide reached up to and, in some cases over, the incipient foredunes that are delineated by the sand fencing on our beach. The sand fencing itself is the core of what may become the new primary dune system we are trying to re-establish after hurricanes and storms over the last three years decimated the dune system on the Island. The dunes are distinguishable by the fencing, sand swells and the plants growing on them. The roots of the plants trying to re-establish themselves are critical to the success of the new dune system forming. Everything landward of the fencing is also part of the protected dune system up to the property lines of nearby residential or commercial structures.

In an effort to continue protecting our dunes during these unusually high tides, we ask for your cooperation in staying at least 10 feet seaward of all dune fencing. At times, there may peak high tide when there is no beach available and we ask that you plan accordingly so that you are not in the dunes at high tide.

Day-time High tides for the remainder of this week are as follows:

The incoming and outgoing tide rises and falls about one foot per hour. Here’s how you can help protect our dunes and dune fencing:

Stay safe during these unusual tides and enjoy the beauty of our beaches.

Drainage Maintenance on Mid-Island Tract Begins Thursday, September 24

Beginning on September 24th, a contractor for the Town of Hilton Head Island will begin maintenance activities related to the drainage system within the Town-owned mid-island tract (former Planter’s Row golf course). The tract between Dillon Road and Union Cemetery Road is adjacent to William Hilton Parkway.

The work includes trimming and removing vegetation to gain access to ditches and ponds, and the removal of downed trees, limbs, and sediment from ditches and pond control structures where the flow of storm water runoff is being obstructed. The work is expected to take about three weeks to complete. The work will not impact traffic flow in the area.

AccelerateSC Offers Centralized Dashboards for Citizens to Quickly Find COVID-19, Economic Revitalization Data

The state’s one-stop website, accelerate.sc.gov, now provides South Carolinians a single place to see the latest data about economic revitalization efforts, COVID-19 statistics and many other topics. Citizens can access the accelerateSC dashboards by visiting accelerate.sc.gov. Once on the site, a quick scroll down the homepage will take users to the dashboards. The dashboards include the following tabs: Employment, Education, Business, Economy, Social Impact, COVID-19 Impact and CARES Act Funds.

“One of our fundamental goals is to give South Carolinians all the tools we’re able to provide that will help them navigate the uncertainty brought on by this pandemic,” said Gov. Henry McMaster. “These simple and clear dashboards are an important part of furthering that goal, and will undoubtedly be helpful to South Carolinians.”

The Employment tab contains data such as the number of people working, the current unemployment rate, the number of people receiving benefits and the number of online job postings. When the Education tab is selected, the user can click through to see the operational status of all South Carolina School districts. The Economy tab provides a look at hotel occupancy and sales revenue. The COVID-19 Impact tab, among other topics, includes access to data on testing, cases, hospitalizations, deaths and face mask ordinances. The CARES Act Funds tab shows which entities have requested reimbursement and the amounts approved.

“Right now, streamlined access to information is important for South Carolina and its citizens,” said South Carolina Department of Administration Executive Director Marcia Adams. “Whether you are a parent, a business owner, an organization, or just someone who wants to know how our state is doing, these dashboards are for you.”

Through a collaborative effort, the South Carolina Department of Administration (Admin) worked with nine other state agencies to compile data for the dashboards. The various data points will be updated weekly or monthly. Each dashboard contains a source, so that users know which agency provided the data and who to contact if they have questions. Where possible, the dashboards display historic data dating back to January 2019.

Again, the dashboards can be viewed at accelerate.sc.gov.

Free COVID-19 Tests in our Community

Hilton Head Hospital and its sister facility, Coastal Carolina Hospital in Hardeeville, offers free COVID-19 drive-thru testing is available from 8 a.m. to noon, Monday thru Friday, at its campus. You do not need an appointment or a physician’s order. Your test results typically will be e-mailed within 72 hours to the valid e-mail address you are asked to provide. You can also visit scdhec.gov/covid19testing to find other testing clinics or events near you and what the requirements are for testing at those locations.

COVID-19 Cases in Our Community

For the latest figures on the number of cases of COVID-19 on Hilton Head Island, please visit www.scdhec.gov or the Town’s COVID-19 hub page at www.hiltonheadislandsc.gov/COVID19.

Stay informed:

For more information visit