City emergency operations remain at OPCON 1. Given the slow movement of the storm, city crews had additional time to continue preparations and finalize response and recovery plans.
If the need arises to evacuate anyone from flooded or damaged areas, Police and Fire Departments finalized the plan to pick up citizens in high water vehicles, boats or response vehicles and relocate them to designated rally points where they would then be transferred to shelters.
The fire department has high water response vehicles and a swift water team staged and ready to respond, if needed.
Parks crews patrolled assigned areas, clearing debris from street drains and monitoring city facilities.
Public Service crews continued their preparation efforts, including the prepositioning of portable pumps, should they be necessary to help remove water from the city. Also, garbage baskets in the commercial district were emptied.
Pre-filled sandbags donated by MacDougall Correctional Institution were delivered this evening to the Public Service building at 2150 Milford Street. Citizens can help themselves to sandbags beginning at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning, while supplies last.
Mayor John Tecklenburg said, “I am so proud of the tireless work of our dedicated city employees to get ready for this storm. While the latest forecast looks favorable for our area, our hearts and prayers go out to our brothers and sisters just north of us in the communities being ravaged by this horrible storm. Once we are certain we are in the clear, our focus will shift to sending crews and other resources to help them in their recovery.”
For the most accurate and up-to-date weather forecasts, residents should stay tuned to the National Hurricane Center (www.nhc.noaa.gov/) and National Weather Service Charleston (www.weather.gov/chs/) websites, as well as local media and the FEMA app.
The city’s Citizen Services Desk at 843-724-7311 is being staffed 24 hours a day. Updates about the city’s preparations and response can be found online at http://www.charleston-sc.gov/hurricane-information.
Additional hurricane preparedness information can be found at www.scemd.org.