WE ARE LIABLE TO GET SOME HIGH SURF, RIP CURRENTS AND MAYBE SOME RAIN, BUT NOTHING LIKE IT COULD HAVE BEEN AS THE FORECAST FOR TROPICAL STORM IMELDA HAS IT TRACKING OFFSHORE UP THE COAST OF FLORIDA TODAY AND THEN TURNING HARD RIGHT, OUT TO SEA OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. IMELDA IS CURRENTLY ALMOST 300 MILES OFF THE FLORIDA COAST AND IS EXPECTED TO TAKE THAT HARD RIGHT TONIGHT BEFORE IT REACHES CAPE CANAVERAL, YET STILL FAR OFFSHORE. IT SHOULD STRENGTHEN TO HURRICANE FORCE SOMETIME TOMORROW, BUT BY THEN SHOULD BE HEADED OUT TO SEA. THE MOST IMPACT WE’RE EXPECTED TO SEE NOW COULD BE A 1-TO-2 FOOT STORM SURGE.
GOVERNOR MCMASTER GOT OUT AHEAD OF THE STORM AND DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY ON FRIDAY, TRIGGERING PREPARATIONS BY THE STATE’S EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISION, ECHOED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY AND HILTON HEAD’S EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOLKS. THE DECLARATION ALSO TRIGGERS THE STATE’S PRICE GOUGING LAW AND MAKES ANY DAMAGE RELATED TO THE STORM ELIGIBLE FOR FEMA REIMBURSEMENTS.
IT HAS BEEN A DEADLY FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF THIS YEAR ON LOWCOUNTRY ROADWAYS, AND IT TURNS OUT, EVEN IN GROCERY STORE PARKING LOTS. A PEDESTRIAN WAS STRUCK AND KILLED BY A SEMI-TRUCK IN THE HARRIS-TEETER PARKING LOT ON THE NORTH END OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND THURSDAY AFTERNOON IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. NO OTHER DETAILS HAVE BEEN RELEASED AND ITS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE TRUCK DRIVER WILL FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES. THE ISLAND PACKET IS REPORTING THE DEATH AS THE FOURTH OF A PEDESTRIAN IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THIS YEAR, THE 16TH OVERALL TRAFFIC FATALITY IN THE COUNTY.
THERE SEEMS TO BE NO END TO THE COURT VISITS FOR ACCOMPLICES TO THE MURDAUGH FINANCIAL CASES. FORMER BANK EXECUTIVE RUSSELL LAFFITTE WILL BE BACK IN A STATE COURTROOM TODAY TO LEARN THE SENTENCE HE’LL FACE FOR PLEADING GUILTY LST WEEK TO ABOUT HALF OF THE STATE’S 21 FINANCIAL CRIMES CHARGES, EXPECTING TO RECEIVE AN 8-YEAR PRISON TERM FOR HELPING ALEX MURDAUGH STEAL MILLIONS FROM HIS CLIENTS. AS A PART OF THE DEAL, THE STATE WILL LIQUIDATE MORE THAN 3-1/2 MILLION IN BANK STOCK OWNED BY LAFFITTE AS RESTITUTION FOR THE VICTIMS. ALSO, AS A PART OF THE DEAL, LAFFFITTE’S STATE PRISON SENTENCE WILL RUN CONCURRENTLY WITH A PROPOSED 5-YEAR FEDERAL SENTENCE. INCLUDING TIME ALREADY SERVED, LAFFITTE COULD BE FREED AS EARLY AS MAY OF 2027.