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Storm surge from Tropical Storm Idalia flooded parts of Charleston, South Carolina Wednesday, breaching the town's seawall.

Powerful onshore winds of about 40 mph pushed water from the Atlantic onto the city streets of the historic city, according to FOX Weather meteorologist Steve Bender.

Idalia and king tides drown Charleston

A resident in a high rise had a unique perspective of the flooding across Charleston Wednesday night. Drivers wade through parking lots to get to their cars. Police cars leave a wake. Tropical Storm Idalia's storm surge and winds combined with the King Tides were no match for the seawall.

Images from Charleston show just how much the water had risen as the storm approached.

(Danica Goff / X / FOX Weather)

The National Weather Service in Charleston stated on Wednesday evening that water has breached the Charleston Battery, the seawall in Charleston. Major coastal flooding is being reported in downtown Charleston and Edisto Beach.

They added that tide levels in the Charleston Harbor reached over 9 feet. At Edisto, the dunes were breached with water flowing under homes and onto roadways.

(Katie Byrne / FOX Weather)

"This is a dangerous situation!" NWS Charleston posted Wednesday afternoon.

The following image taken in downtown Charleston, showing how much roads were covered by storm surge.

(@RoddyKnowles / X / FOX Weather)

WATCH: TORNADO SPAWNED BY HURRICANE IDALIA FLIPS CAR IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Further inland, roads were turned into impromptu rivers.

(@toastofcoast88 / X / FOX Weather)

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

In addition to flooding, the powerful winds reaching gusts of 50-65 mph knocked over trees.

(@CharlestonPD / X / FOX Weather)

The water levels in Charleston are the 5th highest water levels ever reported in the city, according NWS Charleston. They added that the records date back to 1921.

The high water levels are the result of a number of factors. The FOX Forecast Center said that the combination of Idalia, swells from Franklin and the influences from the stage of the moon are creating the perfect event for flooding around Charleston and other low-lying communities in the Carolinas.

HURRICANE IDALIA'S LANDFALL IN FLORIDA DURING FULL MOON STILL INCREASE STORM SURGE THREAT

"Tides are higher than normal right now due to the full moon," noted Greg Diamond, FOX Forecast Center senior meteorologist. "That is the main differentiator here. It's why weaker Tropical Storm Idalia is producing water levels up there with the stronger and larger Matthew and Irma."

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD)- It has been 35 days since Jennifer Drummond was found severely injured along a James Island road.

Friends and family are still searching for answers in what is believed to be a hit-and-run.

The family, joined by their attorney, held a press conference Wednesday morning with new details they hope will bring them closer to finding the person responsible.

The Drumond family, fatigued, after over a month of not knowing exactly what happened to Jenn.

“We don’t sleep at night, wondering if someone texted with a lead,” Jenn’s uncle, Chris Drummond said.

However, they’re not letting up.

Drummond said, “You just can’t hit somebody in the roadway and drive off, and someone not know something.”

Searching everywhere they know of for answers to what is believed to be a hit-and-run.

In a press conference Wednesday morning, their attorney Scott Bischoff, gave new information on her movements that morning.

“Based on information on Jenn’s phone, her step count that was also connected to her apple watch, we believe that she left her house around 5:17 and her step count stops at 5:18, just before 5:19,” Bischoff said.

According to surveillance video there were three cars that drove down Woodland Shores Road around the time of the incident, but new video shows the car believed to be the one that hit Jenn.

“We believe the primary suspect vehicle is vehicle number 3, that appears to be a relatively modern SUV with a sunroof and 5 lights,” Bischoff said.

As far as Jenn’s condition, family members say she is making progress.

They say she got up and walked yesterday, but she’s still very slow to answer questions and there’s still a long way to go.

At this point they’re just doing whatever they can to bring justice to Jenn.

“On top of a really awful injury that she suffered, our mind is also thinking who did this, when will answers surface, will answers surface. It’s something that weighs on our mind constantly,” Jenn’s best friend, Audrey Marhoefer said.

There is a $10,000 reward for information about the incident of you have any information about this incident, call the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.

Coming off an 11-win season with many of their key players returning, the James Island Trojans are the clear-cut favorite to repeat as the Region 7-AAAA champion.

The Trojans enter the season as a top 10 team in the Class AAAA statewide media poll, and have their sights set on bigger things this season.

The Bengals of Lucy Beckham won seven games in their first full varsity season and should be a strong contender for a top three finish in the standings this season.

May River, Hilton Head and Bluffton will be playoff-capable teams. Colleton County, under new coach Adam Kinloch, should be improved but may be a year away from earning a playoff spot.

James Island

HEAD COACH: Jamar McKoy

2022 RECORD: 11-2

WHAT TO KNOW: With talent, size and experience, these Trojans are potentially the best team in school history.

Senior Braxton Scott returns at quarterback after missing most of last season with an injury. Scott is a true dual threat with multiple weapons at his disposal. Senior Wushi Ravenel is among the top wide receivers in the state and Amontre Scott, Amor Scott and James Maxwell are athletic skill players coming off big seasons. Magnum Chestnut is a returning senior leader along the offensive line.

The defense is loaded up front with juniors Dalton Woodall, Malachi Jefferson and Hendrix Beran all showing college prospect potential. Senior Chris Glover returns at linebacker and senior Jayden Whaley anchors a talented defensive backfield. Burke transfer Jaden Brown-Singleton will be an added weapon on both sides of the ball.

The Trojans also boast one of the top special teams unit in senior punter Coleman Franzone and junior placekicker Gray Dangerfield.

Lucy Beckham

HEAD COACH: Jamel Smith

2022 RECORD: 7-4

WHAT TO KNOW: Despite a relative lack of varsity game experience, the Bengals played with great effort and determination to earn a playoff berth last season.

With Smith at the helm, effort is a priority and the Bengals should again be in the chase. Among the top returning performers are athlete Charles Byrd, who can play running back or receiver and is a key playmaker offensively.

Senior Bryce Rothwell returns as one of the state’s top tight ends, Sawyer Hearne is back as a starter along the offensive line,

Linebacker play should be a strength with several returners. Among those returning backers are Hank Aeppli, Jackson Allison and Daniel Fletcher. The defensive line play is led by senior Jaiden Moore. Mason Ombres and Joseph Tolley are returning as defensive backs and may see time at receiver.

May River

HEAD COACH: Richard Bonneville

2022 RECORD: 5-6

WHAT TO KNOW: Bonneville moves from his role as an assistant coach into the head coaching position this season so the transition should go smoothly. The Sharks are 34-9 since 2018 and the winning should continue in 2023.

Junior quarterback Tanner Macy is a key returner offensively, along with junior receiver Gage Duncan. Leading along the front are senior Will Mauro and senior tight end Cayson Simmons.

Two seniors, Adrian Gaston and Karon Green, will anchor the defense along the front. Senior Kammron Mitchell is a key returner in the secondary.

Bluffton

HEAD COACH: Hayden Gregory

2022 RECORD: 5-7

WHAT TO KNOW: Gregory has brought a resurgence to Bluffton and the Bobcats could make a run at a top two finish this season.

The offense will be directed by senior Owen Bayes, who transferred from region rival Hilton Head. Bayes accounted for more than 800 total yards as a part-time starter at Hilton Head.

Junior Sebastian Tollefson returns as one of the top athletes and will see time at running back and defensive back. Sophomore Carnell Warren is the top receiver.

Leading the defense will be senior linebacker Jeremiah Curry and senior end Shane Whitaker. Curry racked up more than 100 tackles last season while Whitaker tallied 12 tackles for loss coming off the edge.

Hilton Head

HEAD COACH: BJ Payne

2022 RECORD: 3-7

WHAT TO KNOW: The Seahawks look to move into the top three in the region with a handful of key returning players on each side of the ball.

With one quarterback transferring to Bluffton, the offense is now in the hands of 6-5 senior Jackson Bibee, who saw extensive action a year ago in a two-quarterback system.

The offense will have balance with the return of junior running back Troy Timko, who rushed for 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns a year ago.

The defense may be in the overall strength of the 2023 team. Senior end Shaikh Thompson is one of the top prospects in the state, racking up 15 tackles for loss last season.

Senior linebacker Connor Wiendl returns after 61 tackles and 10 tackles for loss last season. Sophomores Chris Holmes (tackle) and Allen Green (end) will step into key roles along the front.

Colleton County

HEAD COACH: Adam Kinloch

2022 RECORD: 1-9

WHAT TO KNOW: Kinloch, a Colleton County graduate and former player, returns home as head coach for his first stint as the leader of a program. The new coach has assembled a staff with several fellow graduates and has worked hard to rebuild a strong culture and relationship with the community.

On the field, wins may be hard to come by in year one, but Kinloch is building a deeper program with increased participation.

While unsettled on a firm starter at quarterback, Kinloch expects sophomore Cameron Grayson to be a major factor at running back this fall. Another key performer is senior Nick Williams, a 6-2, 225-pound tight end.

Senior tackle Jayshawn Brown is the leader along the front with sophomore Xavion Green showing solid potential as well.

Williams also will be a factor defensively, at linebacker. Juniors Amari Williams and Kendall Farmer are showing promise at outside linebacker and senior Kamarion Bryant will anchor the defensive front. Senior Antoine McWilliams is the leader in the secondary at safety.

South Carolina’s first-ever cannabis dry bar has landed on James Island. High Rise Dry Bar from Charleston Hemp Collective opened Aug. 11 and is changing the world of hemp-derived products and the non-alcoholic beverage space by offering mocktails made with legal cannabis seltzers.

“I think it’s really cool pioneering stuff like this,” said Matt Skinner, owner of Charleston Hemp Collective. “You always kind of worry about whether it’s going to go over and how many people are going to relate to it, but I feel like the reception we’ve gotten just so far is insane, so I’m super-excited about it.”

In recent years, the popularity of legal hemp-derived products has exploded in the Charleston area as these products are said to offer purported medicinal benefits and increase relaxation. Hemp Collective offers a range of products from vapes and gummies to tinctures and even Bloody Mary mix. But since launching its cannabis seltzer High Rise in May 2022, Skinner has noticed a fast-shifting acceptance.

“Charleston has really embraced this whole [cannabis] movement,” he said. “So much has changed, and so much of it is becoming more and more accepted.”

Currently, High Rise’s seltzers are in about 200 bars and restaurants, including Halls Chophouse and Husk, and 350 shops and grocery stores in the Charleston area. But the product also is distributed throughout the Southeast in Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina and Georgia.

“Some of the most elevated restaurants in Charleston are really trying to create mocktails now and jumping on board with High Rise to help craft that, and I think that’s special,” Skinner said.

He said he believes now is an exciting time — not only for the cannabis space but also the non-alcoholic market. He points to a renewed interest in non-alcoholic options particularly amongst Gen Z, who are noticeably drinking less alcohol than previous generations.

A 2022 consumer trends report from Drizly found 38% of Gen Z respondents said they opted for more alcohol-free drinks than the previous year compared to 25% of Millennials, 15% Gen X and 8% Baby Boomers.

“There’s this interest not only in the ‘canna-curious’ space right now, but also people are looking for NA (non-alcoholic) options. The NA world and the beverage space right now is insane,” Skinner said.

The company’s original plan was to create a second shop with a small bar, but now the bar is really the star, he said. Skinner and his business partner, Chris Long, wanted a space for a high-end mocktail bar, so they used a portion of the space for the shop and a larger portion for a bar, lounge area and multiple tables for guests to sit and mingle.

During the store’s recent soft opening, DJ Jerry Feels Good set the vibe with upbeat tunes. Skinner said the bar plans to bring DJ Jerry Feels Good back as a regular in-house DJ in addition to rotating other DJs on various nights.

Currently, the bar’s open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Wednesdays and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. But Skinner said they may expand the weekend hours in the future.

The first iteration of the drink menu includes seven unique mocktails with names like Connection, Tranquility, Invigorate and Zen.

Drinks include fruity ingredients like salted watermelon and pomegranate and well as savory elements like ginger, turmeric and matcha. The menu offers suggestions under each drink to add CBD, Delta-8 or Delta-9 seltzer to elevate the experience.

For those who are canna-curious but not familiar with these different derivatives of the hemp plant, CBD is a non-psychoactive compound found in hemp that can induce feelings of relaxation. Delta-8 and Delta-9 are both psychoactive compounds in the plant that can induce feelings of “being high.”

Roughly one-third of a can of High Rise seltzer is used in each drink — equal to two milligrams of CBD, Delta-8 or Delta 9.

“The point is not just one and done,” Skinner said of the mocktails. “We want you to be able to try two or three drinks. And by the time you get to your third drink, you’re gonna be feeling really good. It creates more of a social experience.”

Jules Schneider, beverage director for Herd Provisions, helped develop the current menu.“[This was] easily the most challenging menu I’ve done so far,” Schneider said. “Coaxing out flavor without the use of alcohol is another beast on its own. Alcohol is such a great solvent that making well-flavored ingredients is a cinch. I ended up making my own bitters with vegetable glycerin in a pressure cooker and really relied on great produce and proper technique to make fantastically flavored syrups.”

Skinner added, “I’ve got to give a lot of props to Jules. Not only did he take time to look at so many different [flavor] profiles, [but] he was also very careful when he named them. They all really represent the ingredients of those drinks and what they stand for.”

The menu will change quarterly to introduce new drinks and operate as a space for experimentation. Skinner wants to use the bar to test out new mocktails in addition to featuring rotating specialty High Rise drinks other restaurants and bars have developed for their location including Herd Provisions, The Longboard and others.

“Charleston is a community that supports brands that they feel like are really making a movement, and Charleston has really gotten behind High Rise,” Skinner said. “I don’t think there’s another city in the Southeast that has so much respect for this cannabis drink space.”

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JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – Trident Medical Center is looking to build a new hospital on Johns Island.

A certificate of need was submitted by Trident Medical to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) in a step toward constructing a 50-bed acute care facility between Maybank Highway and Cane Slash Road.

It would be directly across from the Live Oak Square development.

“We are excited to continue making medical care more accessible to residents in our historically underserved communities,” said Trident Health President and CEO Christina Oh. “Currently on Johns Island and neighboring communities, it can take residents 30 to 45 minutes to drive to their nearest hospital, and often longer in heavy traffic and inclement weather. Our goal is to increase access to timely, high quality, and affordable health care services.”

Trident leaders estimate the cost of building the new hospital at about $277 million. They said that in the first three years, the Johns Island Hospital would create nearly 300 jobs, contribute to $10 million in non-income taxes to support the community and pay $70 million in salaries, wages, and benefits.

“Johns Island Hospital will mean many residents in the area won’t have to leave the island for work. This will be a great benefit to them and their families,” said Oh regarding job creation.

In addition, the new Johns Island Hospital would be located seven miles from James Island Emergency, which is Trident’s new freestanding ER on Folly Road, which is slated to open in the next few weeks.

The hospital would include 50 beds with space to expand to 150 beds. It would have 40 medical/surgical/stepdown beds, 10 ICU beds, 20 ER rooms, four operating rooms, two endoscopy rooms, and other resources.

Leaders say the third floor will also be designed for future expansion to include a labor and delivery unit and nursery.

“From our first discussions about building a hospital on Johns Island, we have been committed to creating a thoughtful plan that preserves the natural beauty of Johns Island. We will honor the strong Gullah Geechee cultures of the community; we will partner with the areas’ community and businesses; and will promote the important and unique contributions of Johns Island’s agricultural community,” said Oh.

Trident Health operates hospitals in North Charleston, Summerville, and Moncks Corner with three area freestanding emergency departments, and Live Oak Mental Health and Wellness. Its fourth freestanding emergency department is forthcoming.