For the average person, dealing with technology issues is often limited to dropped phone calls and lousy wi-fi connections. These solutions are easy enough to fix - it only takes a few seconds to re-start a router or re-boot your phone. But trying to find a solution to problems like server implementation or network installation is another ballgame entirely. Without the help of a professional, fixing these problems is like trying to walk home with a blindfold. There's a slight chance you might make it, but you're probably going to do more harm than good.
If you're a homeowner or business owner trying to wrap your head around a nuanced issue like network design, it's best to trust a company that specializes in managed IT services in cityname, state. That's where Atlantic Computer Services comes to the rescue.
For more than seven years, ACS has served the Lowcountry with the highest quality IT support and computer services in the game. Unlike other computer services companies, our team works as your partner to provide you with a full range of personalized IT computer services. From network IT support and cloud hosting to computer repair and disaster planning for important data, ACS exists to cater to your IT needs.
Our comprehensive list of IT services brings innate value to our clients. As a full-service IT support company, we serve businesses in various industries, from healthcare and finance to legal and education. Our team acts as an extension of your business, propelling you toward efficient, streamlined, worry-free IT solutions that let you focus on growing your company. That way, our team can work hard in the background while you focus on your day-to-day responsibilities.
Some of the most common IT support services we offer include:
Malware Removal and Prevention
Managed IT Services
Network Management
Business Continuity
Network Security
Data Cabling
Data Backup
Managed Services Help Desk
Router Management
Cloud Hosting
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843-810-2620Our Services
- Managed IT services in Mount Pleasant, SC
- The ACS Difference
- Serving Your Business with Trustworthy Computer Services in Mount Pleasant, SC
- Remain Competitive with Managed IT Services in Mount Pleasant, SC
- Network Installation and Support from ACS
- Protect the Business You've Built with Ongoing Network Security
- Atlantic Computer Services: An IT Provider You Can Trust
Services Area
The ACS Difference
At Atlantic Computer Services, we offer trustworthy, expert IT support in cityname, state. Unlike other IT support companies, our goal isn't to upsell you on unnecessary products or trick you with fine print. Our goal is to keep your business productive, profitable, and secure through the innovative use of technology.
With 24/7 availability, extensive cloud and hybrid hosting services, remote monitoring, and onsite support, ACS acts as your personal IT department without having to create, hire, and manage a team of professionals. And while our IT technicians hold many national certifications, we're proud to say we're Lowcountry locals.
Because we understand no two clients are the same, we keep our managed IT services customizable and personalized to your business, not someone else's. That way, you get the most value for your money without worrying about cookie-cutter solutions or mediocre service.
Businesses of all sizes trust Atlantic Computer Services because we provide:
Full-Service Help Desk Assistance
When an issue arises, our seasoned IT advisors are here to help 24/7.
Strategic Guidance
ACS wants to see you succeed. Our smart IT solutions are modern, effective, and fortified with experience.
Expert IT Technicians
We offer a full team of diversified IT experts that solve many modern IT problems.
Proactive Solutions
Instead of being reactive, our technicians are proactive and monitor your systems 24-hours a day to troubleshoot and resolve issues.
Serving Your Business with Trustworthy Computer Services in Mount Pleasant, SC
South Carolina's Lowcountry is home to many successful businesses, from small mom-and-pop shops to large, multi-national companies with hundreds of employees. And while every business has its niche, products, and customers, each relies on technology to keep its doors open.
Technology runs behind the scenes silently, giving you the means to achieve your business dreams and reach the customers who will get you there. However, business tech is constantly evolving. What was once a viable solution today might be an outdated tactic tomorrow. That's why, at ACS, we focus on understanding your company's culture, challenges, and needs so we can deliver the IT solutions your business truly needs.
Having a reliable IT solutions company to implement, maintain, and protect that technology is crucial to your business's growth and success. Whether it's migrating data to a new location, overseeing a new system roll-out, or implementing essential security upgrades, IT projects and tasks can be exceedingly complex. ACS exists to shoulder that burden and save our clients time and money by acting as their partner, offering specialized IT support catered to their budget and needs.
With Atlantic Computer Solutions by your company's side, you never have to stress about tech again. With ACS as your partner, you have the opportunity to:
- Get an expert IT support consultant without overspending on in-house IT help
- Keep your most sensitive business data secure and backed up
- Create scalable technology infrastructure
- Streamline your business transactions and processes
- Boost business productivity
- Minimize network system downtime
Curious about what kind of IT support ACS offers? Keep reading to learn more about some of our most common services.
Remain Competitive with Managed IT Services in Mount Pleasant, SC
In today's fast-paced, ultra-competitive business world, modern companies must be nimble and responsive to remain competitive. Often, you must leverage your current tech to maximize your business's performance, protect sensitive data, and streamline your costs. To help your business stay successful and safe as we progress through the 2020s, ACS steps in to provide:
Preventative IT Services
Our team monitors your systems remotely to identify potential problems and breaches before your operations are disrupted.
Proactive IT Services
Our team helps implement scalability and flexibility with strategic evaluations and tactical IT planning.
Responsive IT Services
Our local team of ultra-talented IT experts can help with your IT issues onsite and remotely.
Why choose Atlantic Computer Services as your managed services helpdesk? From automated network maintenance to around-the-clock monitoring and IT support, we remove all the stress associated with IT. That way, you can focus on doing what you do best: satisfying your customers and building your business.
Helping Your Dreams Turn Into Reality
Technology doesn't only help companies perform quicker and more efficiently. It provides security against hackers, viruses, malicious actors, and human errors. It saves you money and time through streamlined processes. But it can also be a huge distraction from your business goals and dreams. That's especially true when you try to solve complicated IT issues on your own. As your IT management company, ACS supplements your business with real-deal expertise, so you don't stray from your ultimate vision.
Your Answer to Full-Time IT Support
If you find that your company needs IT support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it's time to contact ACS. We provide cost-effective, pragmatic IT outsourcing solutions customized to your business needs. That way, you don't have to take out another line of credit just to keep your data safe and your business up-to-date.
Free EstimateElite IT Skills
If you're looking for an IT support company with the kind of diverse skillsets to address complex business challenges, look no further than ACS. From cloud hosting and VOIP help to computer repair and new business technologies, Atlantic Computer Services combines national-level know-how with reliable local service.
843-810-2620Network Installation and Support from ACS
Behind the scenes, your company's network acts as the unseen superhero in your universe, working day and night to ensure your data gets to where it needs to go. As the hub of your business, system downtime is both frustrating and worrisome from a financial standpoint. One minute, it's working just fine. But like the car you drive, your network needs maintenance and will one day need to be overhauled.
At ACS, we employ a proactive approach to network and server management to help eliminate network downtime as much as possible. Additionally, our team of managed IT services experts works with you to ensure your network and server design are appropriate for the tasks you're trying to complete.
From on-premises server maintenance to enterprise-level network systems that must accommodate huge demand spikes, we've got your back. Our team works extra hard to ensure your system delivers the speed and security you need.
Free EstimateA few of our network installation and support services include:
Performance Optimization
With years of network IT support experience, we've learned to spot performance issues early so our team can resolve them before they affect your business. As part of our cyclical performance audits, we evaluate benchmark tests, resource-usage trends, and capacity analysis to measure your server's ability to handle traffic and any projected spikes or lulls in productivity.
Infrastructure Monitoring
Detecting issues with servers and networks early on minimizes threats to your network's performance and protects your business data. That's why we're monitoring your network 24/7. We're looking for problems with your connectivity, system performance, database response time, access speeds, and network utilization. To put it simply, we keep track of every aspect of your network, so you get the most out of your infrastructure.
Swift Emergency Support
By monitoring your networks every day and night of the year, we can detect issues swiftly and implement an equally fast response and solution. That way, your systems get back online ASAP.
Troubleshooting
Servers and networks fail all the time, whether it's from hardware problems or software incompatibility. When that happens, your services often come to a halt. ACS relies on our years of experience to quickly discover network issues so that we can apply a permanent fix.
Protect the Business You've Built with Ongoing Network Security
By now, you're probably familiar with terms like hackers, scammers, spoofers, malware, and ransomware. While you're putting in overtime hours to serve your customers and grow your business, malicious actors are working just as hard to wreck your business and steal your profits. Because of hackers, none of us can have nice things. Worst of all, these highly-sophisticated individuals and groups don't sleep.
Fortunately for your business, neither does ACS' network security services.
843-810-2620What is Network Security from Atlantic Computer Services?
You know the adage that says, "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link?" The same can be said for computer networks. In today's digitally-dominant world, your network computers are only as secure as their most vulnerable entry point. Unfortunately, modern scammers and hackers only need one hole in your defenses to ruin everything you've worked so hard to create.
From ransomware and Trojan horse strategies to viruses and malware, cyberattacks are usually destructive by nature and can wreak havoc on your company's sensitive data, processes, privacy, and productivity.
Network security services from ACS are designed to provide your business with iron-clad protection. We accomplish that mission by using innovative tools and best practices to predict, monitor, and prevent network breaches that expose privileged data to hackers.
At ACS, we understand that true network security isn't something that you can just "set and forget." It's not a series of random solutions - it's robust, proactive, and carefully tailored to your company. Our ongoing network security services in Mount Pleasant act as castle walls rather than rickety old fences, giving you peace of mind knowing your business has a professionally-designed security infrastructure.
When you trust ACS with your network security, you benefit from:
- Customized, Extensive, Proactive Network Defense Strategies
- Secure Data Transfers
- Full-Service Security Solutions
- PCI and HIPPA Compliance
- Enhanced Network Stability
- Reduced Risk of Cyberattacks
Free Consultation
Atlantic Computer Services: An IT Provider You Can Trust
If you're searching for the capabilities of an IT department but don't have the time to manage such an undertaking, Atlantic Computer Services is the perfect fit for your business. ACS provides a flexible computer services support team to augment your daily and ongoing IT needs. Unlike some companies, our onsite and remote IT support exceeds service-level agreements with on-call, local live helpdesk support.
Instead of one-and-done engagements, we prefer to nurture long-term business relationships built on trust and hard work. If you're looking for reliable IT help at cost-conscious prices, look no further than Atlantic Computer Services. Contact our office today to learn more about how we can help your business stay successful and secure.
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843-810-2620Latest News in Mount Pleasant, SC
$2.4B deal buys 3 South Carolina hospitals, including Mount Pleasant facility
Ross Nortonhttps://charlestonbusiness.com/2-4b-deal-buys-3-south-carolina-hospitals-including-mount-pleasant-facility/
Listen to this articleThree area hospitals have been sold in a $2.4 billion deal to North Carolina-based Novant Health by the previous owner, Tenet Healthcare of Dallas, Texas.The sale of East Cooper Medical Center in Mount Pleasant, Hilton Head Hospital in Hilton Head and Coastal Carolina Hospital in Hardeeville includes the associated physician clinics and other operations, according to a news release from Novant Health.“We are beyond thrilled to welcome our new team members...
Listen to this article
Three area hospitals have been sold in a $2.4 billion deal to North Carolina-based Novant Health by the previous owner, Tenet Healthcare of Dallas, Texas.
The sale of East Cooper Medical Center in Mount Pleasant, Hilton Head Hospital in Hilton Head and Coastal Carolina Hospital in Hardeeville includes the associated physician clinics and other operations, according to a news release from Novant Health.
“We are beyond thrilled to welcome our new team members and grow our presence in South Carolina,” said Carl S. Armato, president and CEO, Novant Health, which is headquartered in Winston-Salem. “Novant Health’s long-term vision is to transform the health and wellness of these communities through expanded specialty services and clinical expertise. We are energized and united behind our cause to create a healthier future together by building connections with patients and clinicians in coastal South Carolina.”
The East Cooper Medical Center includes 15 physician clinics. Hilton Head Hospital includes the Bluffton Okatie Outpatient Center and 12 physician clinics. Coastal Carolina Hospital in Jasper County includes the Tidewatch Free-Standing Emergency Department in Bluffton, according to the news release.
Novant Health said continuity of care is a priority and appointments and procedures will continue as scheduled during the transition period. “We are working closely with our new Novant Health team members to ensure a seamless transition for patients and team members,” Joel Taylor, market CEO of Hilton Head Regional Healthcare, said in the release. “We are eager to move forward together in support of our teams and know decisions will be made with our community’s needs at the forefront.”
“There’s a lot to be excited about when planning for our future,” Tyler Sherrill, CEO of East Cooper Medical Center, said in the release. “Novant Health is known for elevating clinician leadership to provide patients with a trusted health care experience through world-class technology, personal connections and convenient access to care.”
Tenet Health also owns a cluster of imaging centers and urgent care clinics in York, Rock Hill and Fort Mill, but those South Carolina properties were not part of the deal for the coastal hospitals.
“We understand that taking care of our patients starts with taking care of our people, so I’m delighted to join a leadership team that strives to not only be a healthc are provider of choice but also an employer of choice,” Ryan Lee, CEO of Coastal Carolina Hospital, said in the release. “I look forward to expanding the resources available to our team.”
Novant Health supports health and wellness programs in the community, including health education/screenings, community health workers and mobile cruisers. Each year, Novant Health provides hundreds of programs that serve patients, neighbors and some of their communities’ most vulnerable citizens, the company said in the release.
The Novant Health network consists of more than 1,900 physicians and more than 38,000 team members who provide care at more than 800 locations, the release said.
Get carried away at newly-opened southern market in Mount Pleasant
Hannah Shinehttps://www.counton2.com/news/local-news/get-carried-away-at-newly-opened-southern-market-in-mount-pleasant/
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Get carried away at Mount Pleasant’s new southern market and eatery!Located in the heart of town, Get Carried Away offers everything you need whether it’s a delicious grab-and-go meal or stylish glassware for your next dinner party.Happening Saturday, Feb. 3rd, the store will celebrate its grand opening of ‘The Perch,’ their outdoor patio and your new favorite hangout spot for an afternoon spritz and sandwich.We caught up with the owners, Sassy and Brian He...
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Get carried away at Mount Pleasant’s new southern market and eatery!
Located in the heart of town, Get Carried Away offers everything you need whether it’s a delicious grab-and-go meal or stylish glassware for your next dinner party.
Happening Saturday, Feb. 3rd, the store will celebrate its grand opening of ‘The Perch,’ their outdoor patio and your new favorite hangout spot for an afternoon spritz and sandwich.
We caught up with the owners, Sassy and Brian Henry, to learn more about their business ahead of this weekend’s celebration.
“A lot of what we do is entertaining and hosting,” said owner, Brian. The idea for the shop has been derived from their love for food, hosting, and entertaining family and friends.
Get Carried Away’s first location was founded in Pawleys Island, but the Henrys decided to expand services to reach a larger audience. “We felt like Mount Pleasant was a comfortable jump,” Sassy said.
The Henrys want to accommodate Charleston’s vacationers and local folks.
Sassy went on to say, “When people are on vacation and going to the beach, they don’t want to have to cook entertaining-type foods for large groups of people.”
The market offers a variety of items for the typical vacationer to pick up on their way to the beach house or for the everyday locals to sip and shop.
Not only does Get Carried Away offer takeaway meals and a wide selection of beer and wine, but you can also find everyday groceries there such as meat, seafood, fruits, dips, milk, eggs, and so on. And of course, you can’t miss out on their famous chicken salad or pimento cheese!
You can get carried away in their home section, too, if you’re not careful. It features gorgeous glassware, decorative napkins, kitchen towels, candles, and much more! “We’re trying to keep it all food and beverage oriented,” Sassy mentioned about the products featured in the home section. It’s worth checking out if you’re looking to elevate your tablescape.
The fun doesn’t stop there! You and your family can join the Henrys on Saturday, Feb. 3rd from 12:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. for the grand opening of ‘The Perch,’ their outdoor patio and bar. The celebration will include a complimentary Lowcountry boil as well as their homemade crowd-pleaser appetizers.
‘The Perch’ will provide a full lunch and drink menu this spring with specialty cocktails: The Perch Punch, Coleman Cosmo, Old Village Fashioned, and the Moultrie Margarita.
Get Carried Away is located at 644 Coleman Boulevard in Mount Pleasant. They’re open from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays.
How does Trader Joe's choose new locations? Here's what analysts say.
Anna Sharpe asharpe@postandcourier.comhttps://www.postandcourier.com/news/trader-joes-mount-pleasant-new-store/article_4d125956-c11c-11ee-9b9b-abcaa3c5e9e2.html
MOUNT PLEASANT — The saying goes that beggars can’t be choosers, and Trader Joe’s certainly doesn’t need to beg for business (if you've ever fought for a parking spot on a Sunday afternoon, you know).The California-based grocery chain has a reputation for being highly selective about where it opens new stores — even if that means choosing a second location a few miles fr...
MOUNT PLEASANT — The saying goes that beggars can’t be choosers, and Trader Joe’s certainly doesn’t need to beg for business (if you've ever fought for a parking spot on a Sunday afternoon, you know).
The California-based grocery chain has a reputation for being highly selective about where it opens new stores — even if that means choosing a second location a few miles from an existing one.
Trader Joe’s confirmed in January that Mount Pleasant will soon have not one, but two stores in town.
The announcement sparked excitement, praise and a fair amount of grumbling from outside fans of the grocery chain who believe their communities are more deserving of a new Trader Joe's location. A post about the chain's plans for Mount Pleasant drew more than 800 comments on The Post and Courier's Facebook page.
"This is the craziest decision," one reader groused. "Right around the corner basically from the current one...why not spread out a bit and go to James Island, West Ashley, N. Charleston or Summerville?"
"Do better Trader Joes," another demanded. "Two locations in the same area is preposterous."
As one might imagine, the news received a much more favorable reception in Mount Pleasant.
Tasha Blomquist and her son perused the floral offerings in front of the store on a cloudy morning. Blomquist said she stops by the store twice a week and is eager to see a new location, hopefully, in the northern part of town, where she lives.
“I live way in north Mount Pleasant, so I’m happy there might be one there,” Blomquist said. “I think it’s needed though because every time I’m here … I feel like you have to do multiple laps around the parking lot just to find a spot.”
Another shopper, Kelly Crowley, who lives near Brickyard Plantation, said opening a second store will hopefully cut down on crowds.
“We come by here pretty regularly. If you come here on Sunday or even Saturday, it’s lines all the way back into the aisle," Crowley said.
Though Trader Joe’s has not disclosed where the new store will be, multiple sources have told The Post and Courier the grocery chain is considering the old Bi-Lo building at the foot of the Isle of Palms Connector — a few miles from the store on Johnnie Dodds Boulevard that opened in 2011, and not farther into northern Mount Pleasant as customers like Blomquist would hope.
The proximity to an existing store seems like a head-scratching move — why does Mount Pleasant get two stores 5 miles apart, bypassing places like Summerville or West Ashley?
Demand for a Trader Joe’s in these areas is high, as evidenced by petitions that attract thousands of signatures calling for the chain to open the shop in their towns and cities.
One such petition from 2020 that called for a store in Summerville earned nearly 5,000 signatures. Another in West Ashley gained over 6,000.
Similar efforts also crop up in Myrtle Beach regularly. The city is one of South Carolina’s fastest-growing, yet you won’t find a Trader Joe's in the coastal municipality. Former Horry County Director of Planning David Schwerd said he had that conversation over and over during his 30-year tenure.
“'We need Trader Joe's. Everybody always wants a Trader Joe's. Pretty much every time a commercial rezoning or development planning comes up, it's usually the first one that gets mentioned,” Schwerd said.
Jeff Campbell, the University of South Carolina's department of retailing chair, said grocery stores, particularly Trader Joe's, are extremely strategic in opening new locations. You won't see a Trader Joe's on every corner, and they take their time scouting areas before settling on a city.
"Typically, they would use a variety of metrics in site selection, and while location is still an important consideration, they'll look at things like projected foot traffic, the demographics of the area, where the current transportation routes are, where competitors are located," Campbell said.
Myrtle Beach being a hot spot for tourists might not be attractive to the chain either. People who visit the coastal city are looking to stock up for the week, heading to Walmart or Costco for items in bulk, rather than prepackaged, single-serve foods, Campbell said.
People can request that Trader Joe’s consider their city for a new store. Nakia Rohde, a spokesperson for Trader Joe’s, said the company receives “tons” of requests for stores nationwide.
The company doesn’t share much about how it chooses the perfect site for a new Trader Joe's. But Schwerd has a hunch. He pointed to the region’s median income, age and education level — factors the grocer is thought to consider when choosing sites for a new store.
“They have their undisclosed lists of what they're looking for in demographics,” Schwerd said. “Even though Trader Joe's does not list any specific criteria in their evaluation, that's what they're looking for. They have an upscale, educated clientele.”
An interview with Joe Coulombe, the store’s founder and namesake, published in the LA Times in 2011 demonstrates this ideology that seems to have stuck with the company: “Unless you have enough well-educated people, Trader Joe’s will not work.”
Because of these factors, Schwerd said Horry County or Myrtle Beach are unlikely to get a Trader Joe’s any time soon.
According to U.S. census data, Myrtle Beach has a median income of $57,713, a median age of 51.5 years and 28.8 percent of residents who hold bachelor’s degrees or higher.
Mount Pleasant’s median age of 41.3 years is slightly higher than the state’s 40.5 years, but in Greenville and Columbia, where the other two Trader Joe’s are located, the median ages are much younger at 35.9 and 28.4, respectively.
“They want younger consumers, they want a little bit better-income consumers," Campbell said.
Mount Pleasant, where the median income is $114,237 and 66 percent of residents hold a bachelor’s degree, is far above the state’s median income level of roughly $64,000 and where 32.6 percent of the state hold bachelor's degrees.
So, Trader Joe’s wants to open stores in higher-earning areas with higher volumes of college-educated folks, and Mount Pleasant happens to fit the bill. It fits so well that shoppers will soon find half of South Carolina's Trader Joe's in town.
Campbell, who lives in Lexington, said he’d like to welcome a store in his city, but it’s not likely — it's just not what Trader Joe’s is looking for.
“They're not trying to sell to everybody. They're trying to sell to a particular demographic, and that demographic tends to do very well,” Campbell said.
Reach Anna Sharpe at 843-806-6790.
Harbor Entrepreneur Center opens additional space in Mount Pleasant
Ross Nortonhttps://charlestonbusiness.com/harbor-entrepreneur-center-opens-additional-space-in-mount-pleasant/
has secured new space in Mount Pleasant at 11 Ewall St.With a 22,000-square-foot facility and support from the town of Mount Pleasant, the South Carolina Research Authority and Charleston County Economic Development, the location is designed to provide a collaborative space to inspire, educate and elevate entrepreneurial organizations, venture capital investment and innovation, according to a news release.Executive Directo...
has secured new space in Mount Pleasant at 11 Ewall St.
With a 22,000-square-foot facility and support from the town of Mount Pleasant, the South Carolina Research Authority and Charleston County Economic Development, the location is designed to provide a collaborative space to inspire, educate and elevate entrepreneurial organizations, venture capital investment and innovation, according to a news release.
Executive Director Grady Johnson said in an email the additional location for the center “will greatly expand our ability to house entrepreneurs and deliver services to them, like education, etc.”
The Harbor Entrepreneur Center’s objective is to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem for students, veterans, career changers and businesses to develop new enterprises and ideas to grow in the Charleston region, the news release said.
“The town’s economic development strategy specifically calls for a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation,” Mount Pleasant Economic Development Manager Matt Brady said in the news release. “Our partnership with Harbor addresses this directly, and lets the world know that Mount Pleasant is the hub of innovation for South Carolina. We are excited for the companies coming over with HEC and look forward to collaborating with our stakeholders to recruit high-growth firms and create jobs in our community and region.”
The Harbor Entrepreneur Center was recently selected to serve as the lead agent for innovation and entrepreneurship, one of the areas of focus of the One Region Roadmap, part of the strategy of a partnership among the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments, the Charleston Regional Development Alliance and the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. The roadmap provides a broad platform for the community to address economic challenges heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as threats to our region’s prosperity and global competitiveness, according to the release.
“Naming the Harbor Entrepreneur Center as the lead agent for innovation and entrepreneurship gives us the opportunity to take the foundation the HEC has built over the past 10 years and create a high-impact resource for the region,” Johnson said in the release. “The town of Mount Pleasant’s ability to immediately recognize this opportunity and provide us with financial support allowed us to quickly propel this project from vision to reality.”
The Harbor Entrepreneur Center a 501c3 non-profit founded in 2012 by local entrepreneurs John Osborne and Patrick Bryant with support from the town of Mount Pleasant.
The center is housed in the Epic Center at the Citadel Mall, 2070 Sam Rittenberg Blvd.
History of Lowcountry Winter Storms – Mount Pleasant Firsts
Mount Pleasant Magazinehttps://mountpleasantmagazine.com/2023/around-town/history-of-lowcountry-winter-storms/
If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, you’ve come to the wrong place. It’s not likely that snow will be in our forecast for the holidays, but in these days of wacky weather, you never can tell. We’ve had our share of sunny and warm Christmas days here in the Lowcountry, but there have also been a few harbingers thrown in. In 2018, just after the holidays ended – and two days after the new year was ushered in with temperatures in the 70s – the year started out with more than 5 inches of snow, the third h...
If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, you’ve come to the wrong place. It’s not likely that snow will be in our forecast for the holidays, but in these days of wacky weather, you never can tell. We’ve had our share of sunny and warm Christmas days here in the Lowcountry, but there have also been a few harbingers thrown in. In 2018, just after the holidays ended – and two days after the new year was ushered in with temperatures in the 70s – the year started out with more than 5 inches of snow, the third highest amount ever recorded here. The snowfall was followed by nearly a week of below-freezing temperatures and highs reaching only into the teens. Drivers were warned to stay off the roads due to the hazardous icy conditions, but several fatalities occurred when people attempted to simply walk on the ice.
Another bizarre winter storm that many long-time locals remember is the 1989 snowstorm, which happened just three months after Hurricane Hugo wreaked havoc. That one did give us a white Christmas – and even provided a bit of Christmas magic by covering up the mounds of debris and devastation that the hurricane had left behind. Eight inches of snow fell from the evening of Dec. 22 to the 23 and stayed around through Christmas Day.
But even without snow in the mix, there have been terrible ice storms when sleet and freezing rain has chilled the Lowcountry to the core, like in January 2011 when icicles draped live oak and palm trees as well as power lines. That meant many folks lost electricity when those power lines came crashing down—which made things pretty miserable since it meant that many homes had no heat. Along the coast, nearly an inch of ice accumulated. Three years later, the Lowcountry was hit with two consecutive ice storms – one in January and an even more severe one just weeks later which brought a third of an inch of freezing rain. That one forced the authorities to close the Ravenel Bridge when giant icicles hung on the bridge’s cables and later fell onto unsuspecting vehicles.
Even though such occurrences might (thankfully) be the exception rather than the norm for our area, early European settlers in the Lowcountry found that their new home would have its trials and tribulations during the winter. A local newspaper, the South Carolina Gazette, reported on Jan. 2, 1737, that frozen ponds and creeks were covered with a layer of ice 3 inches thick.
But winter storms don’t confine themselves to January, often considered the coldest month of the year. On Feb. 12, 1899, a severe blizzard blasted most of the Southeast, including the Lowcountry. Temperatures here plummeted to 7 degrees F and 4 inches of snow blanketed our area. Another February storm occurred in 1934. Lowcountry resident Yvonne Kanapaux said her parents got married on Feb. 10 during that ice storm. She remembered being told that her father had always jokingly predicted that “it would be a cold day in hell when he got married!” And February 1973 brought a record snowfall of 7 inches. Some locals seized that opportunity to use the old Cooper River Bridge as a ski slope.
The winter of 1784 proved to be a particularly bizarre set of weather anomalies. Due to the El Nino effect ushering in unusually cold temperatures to eastern North America coupled with the effects of an atmospheric low caused by a volcanic eruption in Iceland, frigid water temperatures froze up Charleston Harbor. It was reported at the time that some daring local residents ice skated on the surface of the harbor. Hard to imagine, but fact or fiction, it does allude to an extreme weather event.
Snow and icicles adorning the Palmetto State’s namesake trees might make for an interesting holiday photo replacing the iconic images of snow that appear on commercially produced Christmas cards – scenes that Lowcountry residents have never been able to relate to anyway. But when Old Man Winter pays a visit to our area, it’s not exactly picture-perfect. So this holiday season, just be careful what you wish for!
By Mary Coy
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