The city of Charleston remains at OPCON 1, with the Municipal Emergency Operations Center fully activated. City officials across various departments continue working in 12-hour shifts to prepare for Hurricane Dorian response and recovery.
During their 1:30 p.m. telephonic meeting, Charleston City Council unanimously approved an emergency ordinance authorizing Mayor John Tecklenburg to enact a curfew, should one become necessary. This was a precautionary authorization, as a curfew is not currently planned.
Based on information from the National Weather Service, citizens should “prepare for life-threatening storm surge flooding, with salt water inundation (water above ground level) up to 4 to 7 feet in southeast SC.” Additionally, “Damaging hurricane force winds are expected along the southeast SC coast, with the strongest winds expected along the Charleston County coast. These winds could bring down trees and power lines, leading to widespread power outages, and possible significant structural damage.”
Tides are expected to continue to increase overnight and are likely to cause major tidal flooding. A 10.1-foot high tide is predicted Thursday morning and a 9.4-foot high tide Thursday afternoon.
City emergency management officials warn that, should conditions deteriorate significantly, rescue operations may be temporarily suspended for the safety of first responders. Motorists are encouraged to avoid the Peninsula until the storm passes.
The Charleston Police and Fire Departments are fully deployed throughout the city and prepared to respond throughout the night, as long as conditions allow.
Damage assessment teams are ready to be mobilized to identify impacted areas and document storm-related damage, as are initial debris clearing crews. Damage can also be reported using the city’s online tool: https://gis.charleston-sc.gov/report-damage/
Urban forestry crews stand ready to respond to downed trees and limbs, as needed.
New GIS mapping tools allowing citizens to track hurricane-related information in real-time are available on the city website: https://gis.charleston-sc.gov/hurricane-maps-tools
For additional information related to the storm, residents can call the Citizen Services Desk at 843-724-7311 or review the city’s Hurricane Information webpage: http://www.charleston-sc.gov/hurricane-information.
For the most accurate and up-to-date weather forecasts, residents should stay tuned to the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service Charleston websites, as well as local media. Additional hurricane preparedness information can be found at www.scemd.org.