Gov. Henry McMaster ordered evacuations along South Carolina’s entire 187-mile coastline starting at noon Tuesday, saying residents and tourists must get out of Hurricane Florence’s potentially devastating path.
The evacuations will cover some areas inland prone to flooding, including Berkeley County and parts of Dorchester County.
The eastbound lanes of Interstate 26 heading into Charleston and U.S. 501 into Myrtle Beach will be reversed when the order takes effect, opening all lanes to evacuees. A decision on lane reversals in Beaufort County will be made on Tuesday, McMaster said.
Schools and state offices in 26 counties as far inland as Lexington in the Midlands will be closed as of Tuesday, enabling schools to serve as emergency shelters and making school buses available for evacuations.
“People, we need to prepare,” McMaster said during a briefing at the state’s emergency management center in West Columbia. “This one is particularly big, particularly strong. … We don’t want to gamble with a single South Carolina life.”
Most of South Carolina’s coast remains in Florence’s cone of uncertainty, raising the possibility of the state’s first major hurricane strike in nearly three decades.
By midday Monday, the hurricane blew winds near 130 mph, reaching Category 4 strength capable of devastating damage. Forecasters expect Florence to make landfall somewhere near Wilmington, N.C., before sunrise on Friday with winds as strong as 120 mph.
2 thoughts on “Get Out Now. South Carolina Orders Coastal Evacuation Ahead of Florence”
Always keep in mind, as most public officials know, that the act of evacuation itself is a danger to medically frail people, and unpleasant for those who have to pee after a few hours in slow-and-go traffic. It’s also an expensive option for those who choose motels over crowded shelters (which often don’t take pets). For hospitals nursing homes, it is both dangerous and very expensive to evacuate all of the residents.
Some people who have had bad evacuation experiences cling to any rationale not to evacuate at all (“XYZ model said it would move north of us”, etc.).
Always keep in mind, as most public officials know, that the act of evacuation itself is a danger to medically frail people, and unpleasant for those who have to pee after a few hours in slow-and-go traffic. It’s also an expensive option for those who choose motels over crowded shelters (which often don’t take pets). For hospitals nursing homes, it is both dangerous and very expensive to evacuate all of the residents.
Some people who have had bad evacuation experiences cling to any rationale not to evacuate at all (“XYZ model said it would move north of us”, etc.).
In a way, they voted for this.