WEST COLUMBIA, SC (WSPA)- Several coastal counties in South Carolina are already preparing a response to what Hurricane Dorian may bring.
And despite not being in action responding to severe weather agencies like the South Carolina Emergency Management Division are also monitoring and preparing for what the next few weeks of hurricane season may bring.
All eyes were on Hurricane Dorian at the South Carolina Emergency Operations Center. It’s the first major hurricane expected to hit the United States.
Even though the SEOC wasn’t full of personnel, the agency is watching the storm closely so it can fine tune its plans. The agency has been working on these plans since Hurricane Florence.
“We want to make sure there are no loss lives as part of this storm or any storm so if an evacuation is announced it would be prudent for you to leave. That’s one of the areas that we want to continue to work on,” explained SCEMD Director Kim Stenson.
During Hurricane Florence about 60% of the residents told to evacuate did.
SCEMD isn’t the only agency that has been on standby. The SC Department of Natural Resources is also waiting to jump into action.
David Lucas outlined what the agency is doing now and would do in the event of a hurricane. “Our officers and staff have plans and we’re making sure our plans are in order and that our equipment is going to work. Water rescues, search and rescues are some of the things our agency is called upon to do.”
To make sure the department is ready to respond to any severe weather SCDNR cancelled boating inspections scheduled this weekend to make sure all staff is available.
Emergency management says this is the time to start preparing and make sure you have a plan in place in case Hurricane Dorian brings power outages or flooding to the state.
Find out what you need to know and what you need to have in the event of a hurricane HERE.
