Charley passes, but tourism affected BEAUFORT/JASPER COUNTIES: Although Hurricane Charley bypassed the Lowcountry, officials use storm to help educate residents. Wind chimes hung silently and the sun broke through the clouds as Hurricane Charley passed the Lowcountry and headed north Saturday morning. None of the problems usually faced during a tropical storm or hurricane - such as power outages and heavy rains - were reported. Unfortunately, residents in and around Charleston weren't as lucky. Officials with SCANA, parent company to South Carolina Electric & Gas, said about 15,000 people were without power in that area. "There was nothing to (power outages) in Beaufort or Jasper counties," said Eric Boomhower, public affairs manager for SCANA. "There may have been some spotty outages, but nothing on a larger scale." For the Palmetto Chapter of the American Red Cross, the "dry run" preparation for Charley gave volunteers the chance to get first-hand experience. "As far as opening of shelters and the Red Cross and working with partnering agencies, everything went very smoothly," said Larry Rockwell, executive director for the Palmetto Chapter. "The only trouble we have is predicting what Mother Nature will do." About 50 people stayed the night in the three shelters in Beaufort and Jasper counties. "They are low numbers compared to the capacity of those schools, however, that is probably indicative of our complacency when it comes to storms," said Julie Dimitrov, disaster director for the Palmetto Chapter of the American Red Cross. "People really don't want to leave their property and their homes until they are certain it is in danger." The three schools - Jasper County High School, H.E. McCracken Middle School in Bluffton and Beaufort Elementary - can hold a combined total of about 1,500 people, Dimitrov said. "The two Beaufort County schools were open at 5 p.m. and the residents left at approximately 8 a.m.," Dimitrov said. "The Jasper facility opened at 2 p.m. and they left at 7:30 a.m. I think that's pretty common. Usually if we know there is a storm coming, they want to get to the facility during the daytime instead of at night." For businesses that depend on tourists for income, this week could prove to be a little slow. Advanced reservations dropped from 51,378 visitors - or about 69 percent occupancy - to 24,680 visitors - or about 36 percent. "Those numbers are a little more optimistic than what we originally thought," said Charlie Clark, director of communications for the Hilton Head Island/Bluffton Chamber of Commerce. Clark said people staffed the phones Saturday, answering calls from tourists who were inquiring about the weather. "I can't tell you how many surprised people I spoke with," Clark said. "They called and asked how much damage there was when we weren't even hit by the storm." Media outlets have been asked to be more specific when talking about the Lowcountry, Clark said. "Hurricane Charley was a good example of the influence of the national media," she said. "When national outlets say the Carolinas, people often assume Hilton Head has been greatly affected, when in fact skies can be sunny here, but the North Carolina coast is heavily impacted." Damage from the storm was worst in Florida, where lives were lost and towns were destroyed by the Category 4 storm. The Palmetto Chapter of the American Red Cross in the Lowcountry, however, has yet to receive requests for help from that area. "At this point, we have not been contacted specifically, but the American Red Cross is conducting a major fundraising campaign for Florida and North Carolina. Truly the best way to contribute is a financial contribution." Local fire departments, although on standby since Friday night, said they haven't been contacted for manpower or equipment either. As for SCANA,its first priority is getting its local customers back online, Boomhower said, and he wasn't aware of any requests for help from Florida or North Carolina. Reporter Matt Coffey can be reached at 837-5255, ext. 123, or matthew.coffey@lowcountrynow.com Click here to return to story: http://www.lowcountrynow.com/stories/081504/LOChelpinghand.shtml