At 4:30 p.m. today, Charleston City Council met telephonically and unanimously passed an ordinance that formally declared a state of emergency in the city of Charleston due to yesterday’s winter storm event. The ordinance authorizes Mayor John Tecklenburg, in consultation with public safety officials, to take actions that might be required to protect public health and safety until the situation returns to normal.
City spokesman Jack O’Toole said, “This authority was passed as a precautionary measure only. At the present time, the city has no plan to impose curfews, travel restrictions, or any other emergency prohibitions. That said, we continue to strongly advise our citizens to avoid unnecessary travel until the roads are clear and conditions have returned to normal.”
The City of Charleston Emergency Operations Center remains at OPCON level 3.
At this time, no roads or bridges in the city are closed. However, as temperatures drop this evening, the snow and ice that remain on the roads will refreeze, which is expected to worsen the hazardous road conditions. Citizens and visitors are strongly advised to avoid unnecessary travel. Those who must drive should exercise extreme caution, leave extra room between vehicles and drive very slowly.
An up-to-date list of city road closures is available at
http://gis.charleston-sc.gov/road-closures.
City offices will be closed Friday except for emergency services and storm response. The city will assess conditions on Friday to determine when offices will reopen.
Garbage and trash pick-up is expected to resume on its regular schedule on Monday, January 8, 2018.
All city recreation youth basketball games and gymnastics classes on Saturday, January 6 are cancelled.
The city’s citizen information line remains in service for non-emergency, weather-related questions at 843-973-7219.