COLUMBIA, S.C. (Friday, September 7, 1:40 p.m.) – The South Carolina Emergency Management Division is monitoring Hurricane Florence, which forecasters say could affect the East Coast next week. As a result of the storm’s projected movement toward the United States, key local and state agencies have been notified to be ready to respond if the need arises.
South Carolina residents and visitors in potentially vulnerable areas should review their plans and consider actions they would need to take if the storm threatens the state. Everyone should monitor the storm via local news media and follow updates from the National Hurricane Center, especially people in low-lying areas along the South Carolina coast.
“We’re watching Hurricane Florence very closely and it’s too early to tell what impact, if any, this storm will have,” SCEMD Director Kim Stenson said, “It is the peak of hurricane season so even if this storm passes us by, there could be more hurricanes on the way in the coming weeks. It is vital that every resident have a personal emergency plan and be ready to take action if they need to.”
Just last night, SCEMD released an update to the SC Emergency Manager mobile app that includes additional information for residents to build a personal emergency plan and the ability to report damage to state and local agencies.
The SC Emergency Manager is available in the App Store and on Google Play: http://onelink.to/dn92rx
The official 2018 S.C. Hurricane Guide is available in English or Spanish at scemd.org.
The Division will, at 2 p.m. today, increase operational readiness to Condition 4. OPCON 4 is the second lowest response level above normal, day-to-day activities. Emergency managers make initial preparations for the possibility of any hazardous situations while select personnel from SCEMD’s Operations and Preparedness sections continue to monitor Hurricane Florence from the State Emergency Operations Center in West Columbia. SCEMD is also prepared to respond to requests for aid from neighboring states if requested.