MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – As Hurricane Florence stirs in the Atlantic Ocean, the Myrtle Beach Emergency Management team readies for the remainder of hurricane season.
The traditional hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, with the peak of the season hitting between mid-August and late October. Hurricane Florence is the storm forecasters are currently keeping an eye on, as the storm heads west and other elements determine her path.
If Hurricane Florence, or any other storm begins to head toward the Myrtle Beach area, a newly developed operations center will come into play.
Myrtle Beach Emergency Management Director Bruce Arnel manages the updated Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The center is based at Fire Station No. 4, near The Market Common.
Over the past week, the center was introduced to the Seniors Advisory Committee.
It features desks, computers, telephones and monitors for city staff in the event of an emergency, such as a hurricane. The wall-mounted televisions can check on local weather conditions and monitor the city’s 800 surveillance cameras.
StormTracker13 Meteorologist James Hopkins says it’s still too early to know if Hurricane Florence will prompt the Myrtle Beach EOC to take action, but the storm is certainly worth keeping an eye on.
“Given the wind shear, additional weakening of Florence for another day or two seems likely, and all of the models agree. By Monday, all of the models call for Florence to restrengthen,” says Hopkins. “There is still considerable model uncertainty for Florence’s track beyond this weekend, but by early next week we’ll have a much clearer picture of Florence’s likely path.”
