Tybee is no stranger to harsh weather. In 2017, when Tropical Storm Irma reached Tybee, during a King tide, the island and Highway 16 leading to Tybee faced serious flooding, which resulted in the highway being shut down.
Many of the residents have been preparing for similar conditions in light of Hurricane Idalia’s path.
Captain Gary Hill has been working between Wilmington Island and Tybee Island for the past 15 years.
“When Irma was making its little pass on us, I was on the beach. Irma was not a backdoor storm, she was a brush up the coast,” said Captain Gary Hill. “This one is coming in through the backdoor. We are seeing a bigger wind event.”
The tide is directly related to the moon. Today is a full moon, which means a King tide for Tybee Island. High tide will be at 8:21 p.m.
“If it makes it here at high tide, on a King tide, then the roads out to Tybee should just about be underwater,” said Hill. “We have a 9.9 ft tide coming in.”
Hill assured that the flooding should only last a few hours: “Even as strong as a hurricane is, it can’t defy gravity for very long.”
