Category: In the News

Cicadas Are Coming, Oh My!

Several media outlets are reporting about the billions of cicadas that will surface starting early May. According to NBC News:

The winged insects are expected to appear across the Midwest and Southeast starting early May, in a double emergence of two different broods of periodical cicadas. These bugs spend a fixed number of years underground before coming to the surface to take part in a raucous mating ritual.

This year’s emergence is expected to be unusually large, with some experts estimating that more than a trillion cicadas could blanket parts of the country where the two broods overlap.

Cicadas are harmless to humans, though some people find the sheer number of insects and their loud mating songs a nuisance.

For bug enthusiasts, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the two cicada broods emerging together, given that it last occurred in 1803, when Thomas Jefferson was president.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

According the the American Kennal Club, your dog will be fine if they eat a few cicadas, but you should prevent them from eating a large amount. Dogs that overindulge in cicadas may encounter mild to serious GI upset, choke on the stiff wings or hard exoskeleton or suffer allergic reactions.

Continue reading “Cicadas Are Coming, Oh My!”

Alligator Alert Friday, Apr 26

The Town of Seabrook Island received a report from Beach Patrol around 2:30 pm that there is an alligator in the Edisto River near Pelican Watch Villas. They are asking beachgoers to avoid that area of the beach right now. There are crews on the scene monitoring the situation.

-Submitted by Town of Seabrook Island

Beachfront Lights Out May 1 – Oct 31

Turtle Season will be starting again, so please don’t forget that from May 1 through October 31, all outdoor lighting facing the ocean on beach front units must be turned off from dusk to dawn. Also, close the drapes or shades on windows facing the ocean during this time period.

Mama turtles dig nests by moonlight and can be easily spooked by a bright light, even a camera flashing a picture. Later in the summer newly hatched turtles will use moonlight reflecting from the ocean waves to find their way to the water.

When on the beach at dark, please use red filters on flashlights. Artificial light such as flashlights without filters can disturb the turtles. This includes flashlights on phones as well.

Continue reading “Beachfront Lights Out May 1 – Oct 31”

Global Entry Available in Charleston for a Limited Time

If you are a frequent international traveler and don’t have a global entry card, now’s your opportunity.

Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States.

Global Entry will hold an enrollment event at CHS International Airport the week of May 13, 2024.

Beginning April 22, 2024, interested travelers may begin the Global Entry application process. Visit the Global Entry website. Then click on the “Apply Now” button. After completing the application, you will need to schedule an interview appointment time.

–Tidelines Editors

(Image credit: IFlyChs )

Check Out Local Farmers Markets

Everything’s coming up local fruits and veggies. Farm-fresh produce is available at numerous farmers markets and farms around Charleston.

Sea Island Farmers Market is open year-round. This fresh air market takes place Saturdays 9:30 am to 1:30 pm and is hosted at Charleston Collegiate’s campus located at 2024 Academy Road, Johns Island.

Charleston Farmers Market recently returned to Marion Square. The market is open on Saturdays from  8:00 am to 2:00 pm

On Sundays, head over to the Sunday Brunch Farmers Market located at 1977 Maybank Highway behind the Pour House. Vendors set up shop every Sunday 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

If you’re looking for a farmers market and live music on a Tuesday afternoon, pack up the automobile and head to Mount Pleasant. Mount Pleasant Farmers Market is located at 645 Coleman Boulevard (Moultrie Middle School) from 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm every Tuesday.

St John’s Farmers Market is now open for 2024. Every Wednesday, 3:00-6:00 pm, you can find the St Johns Farmers Market at 3673 Maybank Highway, Johns Island.

West Ashley Farmers Market can be found at 55 Sycamore Avenue, Charleston, beginning April 24, 2024. This market will take place on Wednesdays, 3:00-7:00 pm.

–Tidelines Editors

(Image credit: Sea Island Farmers Market)

Freshfields Water Back On Monday, Apr 22

The St. Johns Water Company has informed us that the water main break at the Haulover Creek Roundabout has been repaired. Haulover Creek is next to Andell Bridge and is located in Charleston County. The water service is on in Freshfields and Cassique.

Follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, at TidelinesAlert to receive instant information about emergency issues as we receive it.

–Tidelines Editors

Water Main Break Affecting Freshfields Monday, Apr 22

We received notification this morning from St. Johns Water Company that there is a water main break at the Haulover Creek Roundabout. Haulover Creek is next to Andell Bridge and is located in Charleston County. The Freshfields and Cassique areas will not have water today starting at 9:00 am.

If we receive additional information about the situation, we will let you know. You can also go to the St. Johns Water Company website to check on updates.

Follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, at TidelinesAlert to receive instant information about emergency issues as we receive it.

–Tidelines Editors

Celebrate Passover


Passover is a major Jewish spring festival celebrating freedom and family in remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. This year Passover begins at sundown on Monday, April 22 and ends Tuesday evening, April 30.

May the story of Passover bring hope, peace,
and light to your heart and home.
Happy Passover!

-Best wishes from your Tidelines Editors

(Image credit: pinterest.com)

Charleston Is In An Earthquake Zone

Many people do not realize that Charleston is in an earthquake zone. In 1886, an earthquake with a magnitude estimated between 6.9 and 7.3 caused 100 deaths and damage to about 7,000 buildings.

According to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD), approximately 10 to 15 earthquakes are recorded annually in South Carolina. About 70% of them are located in the Middleton Place-Summerville Seismic Zone. This is why we need to know what to do in case we have an earthquake. The US Geological Survey has provided the following tips:

  • If you are indoors – stay there. Get under a desk or table and hang on to it (Drop, Cover and Hold On) or move into a hallway or against an inside wall. Stay clear of windows, fireplaces, and heavy furniture or appliances. Don’t run downstairs or rush outside while the building is shaking or while there is danger of falling and hurting yourself or being hit by falling glass or debris.
  • If you are outside — get into the open, away from buildings, power lines, chimneys, and anything else that might fall on you.
  • If you are driving — stop, but carefully. Move your car as far out of traffic as possible. Do not stop on or under a bridge or overpass or under trees, light posts, power lines, or signs. Stay inside your car until the shaking stops. When you resume driving, watch for breaks in the pavement, fallen rocks, and bumps in the road. Bridges are particularly hazardous as the ground approaching the bridge could be compromised and the bridge itself could have structural damage.

Click here for a pdf that you can put on your refrigerator as a reminder of what to do to stay safe during an earthquake. It also has information on what to do if you have mobility or accessibility issues. SCMED has a guide to earthquakes that can be found by clicking here.

Another important issue is insurance. Does your homeowner’s insurance policy have earthquake protection? Some policies do and others don’t.

Remember, be prepared; stay safe.

–Tidelines Editors

(Image credit: USGS)

Update on Medical Facilities

The following information was presented to the Kiawah Town Council this past week:

MUSC Health Project
Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Chief Operating Officer Dr. Tom Crawford provided an update on the new MUSC free standing emergency department and medical office building.  

The free-standing 24/7 emergency department will include helipad, and ambulance and helicopter access, which will also allow for trauma services for children and adults. This project will be located adjacent to the Seafields parcel. The project also features a traditional medical office building with specialty services, which will depend on the area’s demand for services.

Currently, MUSC is in the ARB process and on track for permitting. MUSC is also working to address encroachment concerns onto the bike trail, ensuring signage that is both visible and adheres to aesthetics, and providing access points from Seabrook Island. If permitting stays on schedule, MUSC’s goal is to have a topping off ceremony (when the last beam is placed atop a structure during construction) in fall 2024 and be in the building in late 2025.

You can view the full presentation here; starting around 12:00 timestamp.

Trident Health Project
Trident Medical Center’s Chief Operating Officer Landon Smith provided an update on their Johns Island Emergency facility, which will have 11 patient rooms with a designated trauma room, in-house diagnostics, advanced imaging, stroke telemedicine, and mental health telemedicine. The facility will be staffed by physicians who are board certified in emergency medicine and nurses and other clinicians with special training in emergency medicine. It will be located on Maybank Highway with access also on Cane Slash Road.

Currently, they are working through the county’s zoning process and expect that the building construction will begin towards the end of this year.

This facility is anticipated to become a part of a medical campus in the future that would include a hospital and medical office building.

You can view the full presentation here; starting around 4:15 timestamp.

–Tidelines Editors

-Image credit: Kiawah Island

Partial Solar Eclipse Tuesday Apr 8

While the middle of the United States is experiencing a total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, Charleston, SC will be in the midst of a partial solar eclipse. The timeframe of the partial solar eclipse in our area will be from 1:52 pm until 4:25 pm, with the maximum peak at 3:10 pm. We won’t have the total blackout that a total eclipse offers, but according to Rick Fienberg of the American Astronomical Society, “If you’re outside before or after the peak at 3:10 pm and it looks like it is getting cloudy outside, you really are in a partial solar eclipse.”

Nationaleclipse.com predicts that in Charleston, 69.7% of the Sun will be blocked when it reaches maximum eclipse. Even though it won’t get dark outside, you will still need certified safe eclipse glasses to actually look at the eclipse.

According to science.nasa.gov, a total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, is completely lined up, and thus blocks the face of the Sun. People located in the center of the Moon’s shadow when it hits Earth will experience a total eclipse.

For those of us outside the path of the total solar eclipse, a partial solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth but the Sun, Moon, and Earth are not perfectly lined up. Only a part of the Sun will appear to be covered, giving it a crescent shape.

Please remember that when watching even a partial solar eclipse directly with your eyes, you must look through safe solar viewing glasses.

Eclipse glasses are NOT regular sunglasses; regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the Sun. Also, it’s not safe to look at the eclipse through an unfiltered camera, such as your cell phone. Looking at the intense light from the sun even for just a few seconds can cause permanent damage to the retina.

If you want to know what time the total eclipse or partial eclipse happens in a particular area, nasa.gov has an interactive site where you can put in a zip code to check when it will occur in that area.  

–Tidelines Editors

(Image credit: mappingspecialists.com, kawarthanow.com)