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Severe thunderstorms rocked Beaufort County Tuesday with frequent lightning and pouring rain, bringing power outages and damages. Forecasts show another round may be on the way this weekend.

The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC) places Beaufort County under a of excessive rainfall Friday. Excessive rainfall is rainfall above flash-flood criteria in an area. Alongside heavy rainfall, forecasts call for thunderstorms Friday night, and into Saturday morning.

The extreme heat that blistered Beaufort County last week is off the table through the weekend and into next week. Heat index values won’t exceed heat advisory criteria through at least Tuesday next week.

Beaufort County weekend forecast

The severe thunderstorm threat is , but forecast model guidance agrees that scattered to numerous thunderstorms are possible Friday night and Saturday, according to a forecast discussion from NWS’s Charleston branch. The main threat Friday and Saturday will be heavy rain, and Beaufort County has an 80% chance of precipitation both Friday and Saturday.

The strongest storm cells could be capable of a 3-inch per hour rainfall rate, according to the WPC. Rainfall totals through the end of the weekend are expected to be between half an inch and 1.5 inches, but some areas could see 2 to 3 inches of rain, according to the forecast discussion. Here’s the through Monday:

Less heat through next week

Beaufort County’s heat index forecast stays warm but nowhere near the dangerous temperatures experienced last week. The heat index will peak at around 103 degrees Fahrenheit Monday before rising to 106 on Tuesday. Heat advisory criteria begins at a heat index of , according to NWS Charleston. The heat index peaked at around 118 last week.

Here’s the heat index forecast through Tuesday:

The forecast can change. Keep track of it through the NWS.

The Beaufort Art Association () will open a new exhibition featuring the art of two Beaufort locals this September.

BAA’s Canvas & Clay exhibition features the work of painter Lisa Re Tupper and pottery artist Danny McSweeney, alongside works from 60 other Beaufort artists, according to a press release. The exhibit will open on Tuesday, Sept. 1 at the Beaufort Art Association Gallery on Bay Street, and run through Nov. 1. BAA features new exhibitions regularly every two months.

Here’s what to expect from BAA’s Canvas & Clay exhibition.

First Friday reception

A free-to-attend reception is set for Beaufort’s First Friday on Sept. 4 at the BAA Gallery at 913 Bay St. Visitors can meet Tupper and McSweeney as well as some of the other featured artists from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., according to the press release. Light refreshments will be provided.

Who is Tupper?

Tupper was born into a family of artists, with both her maternal grandparents being alumni of a Chicago art school, according to the press release. She was inspired by her grandmother’s portrait art, but decided to pursue a career in medicine. Now retired, she’s picked up the brush and begun to paint.

Tupper paints Lowcountry landscapes, Beaufort landmarks and most recently underwater scenes from her backyard koi pond. Her surroundings are the source for her art, she said in the press release.

“I’ve lived most of my life in Maine and the Carolinas,” Tupper said. “I constantly scan my surroundings for beauty, charm, and a touch of humor. Painting has truly made me see more.”

Tupper’s husband, Stan, builds panels and frames for her art, and her mother takes reference photos. Tupper also serves as the vice president of membership at BAA.

Who is McSweeney?

McSweeney studied at the Kansas City Art Institute before returning to South Carolina and founding his own studio, , according to the press release. He mixes his own clay and glass, and sometimes digs clay from local riverbeds for his pottery.

“There’s something remarkable about taking a material straight from the earth and discovering what it wants to become,” McSweeney said in the press release. “That fascination has never left me.”

And the Lowcountry’s waterways inspire his work, according to the press release. His works push the bounds of traditional pottery, while maintaining the functionality of the object, he said. McSweeney teaches pottery at his studio and has been a member of BAA since 2016.

BEAUFORT, S.C. —

South Carolina Sen. Darline Graham is campaigning across the state as she makes her final push for votes ahead of Tuesday’s runoff election.

Graham, who was appointed to fill her late brother’s Senate seat, is seeking her first elected office. During a campaign stop in Beaufort this afternoon, she addressed criticism about her experience, which has been a recurring question throughout her campaign.

“People want to point and say what she didn’t know. I’d rather you measure what she does,” Shannon Erickson, a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, said.

A recent debate clip circulating on social media highlighted Graham’s acknowledgment of areas where she lacks knowledge.

“I’m just going to be honest here. I’m not on national security, that I’m not that informed on national security. But I do support the military,” Graham said.

She emphasized her willingness to learn and adapt.

“I can be informed if I don’t know it. Like you said, I will know within an hour a day or so. I have confident staff that will help me. I will be advised, and you better believe I’m smart enough to learn,” Graham said.

Supporters at the event argued that her lack of elected experience doesn’t tell the full story. Some believe her connection to her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, has given her valuable insight into politics.

“I have a feeling that she’s been behind the veil through the years with Lindsey and had an opportunity, a little bit more insight, so to say that she’s a newbie in the political system, I think that that might be a misnomer,” said Mark Stokes, owner of Bay Street Jewelers.

Graham also highlighted her decades of work for South Carolinians.

“I’ve worked hard for the past 30 years for the people of South Carolina. I help blind people, people with disabilities to go to work so that they didn’t have to rely on the government,” Graham said.

On Tuesday, voters will decide whether Graham has the experience to win a full Senate term. She faces Congressman Ralph Norman in the runoff election. Norman’s campaign has been contacted for comment, but no response has been received yet.

BEAUFORT, S.C. – Beaufort Memorial has been nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a 2026-2027 Best Regional Hospital, with eight of its programs highlighted for delivering exceptional care in the Lowcountry.

For the 2026-2027 year, Beaufort Memorial ranks at number 7 in the state among U.S. News’ latest “Best Regional Hospitals” edition, in a list of 505 best regional hospitals recognized nationwide.

“This recognition as a U.S. News ‘Best Regional Hospital’ is a tremendous honor,” said Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley. “It reflects the unwavering commitment of our skilled, growing team to delivering high-quality care to our patients, their families and the Lowcountry community. Our patients can feel confident they are receiving not only compassionate, community-focused care at Beaufort Memorial, but care that delivers exceptional outcomes.”

In this annual study, U.S. News evaluated nearly 4,500 hospitals across 14 adult specialties and 23 procedures and conditions. Only 16% of evaluated hospitals earned a “Best Hospitals” designation. Ten South Carolina hospitals and health systems landed on this list; Beaufort Memorial ranks beside large metropolitan systems such as MUSC Health, Prisma Health, McLeod and Roper in Charleston, Greenville and Columbia.

Beaufort Memorial was named a high-performing healthcare provider in the following areas of care:

Additionally, the organization’s orthopedic program was high-performing across the board in all four of its measured conditions and procedures of:

This achievement comes just weeks after Forbes named Beaufort Memorial one of only three South Carolina health systems to receive a 5-star overall rating in its inaugural “Top Hospitals by State” rankings.

“We are proud to be recognized alongside some of the state’s largest health systems as we remain committed to serving our Lowcountry community,” Baxley said. “As we continue to grow and invest in innovative care, our focus remains the same: ensuring this region’s residents have access to nationally recognized healthcare services close to home.”