City of Charleston officials continue to meet daily and have begun initial preparations for any potential impacts Tropical Storm Florence may have here in the Lowcountry. City Emergency Management is working closely with state and regional officials to monitor the storm’s track and coordinate preparation efforts.
The current forecast from the National Weather Service shows Florence could become a dangerous major hurricane near the southeast U.S. coast by late next week, and the risk of direct impacts continues to increase. Tropical storm force winds could arrive as early as Wednesday evening.
Citizens are encouraged to begin making preparations now. The city’s Hurricane Information webpage can be accessed at
http://www.charleston-sc.gov/hurricane-information. Updates on Tropical Storm Florence will be released and posted to the webpage as new information becomes available.
Tomorrow, the city will move to OPCON 3 at 10 a.m. and at that time, the Municipal Emergency Operation Center will be partially staffed. Also tomorrow, Charleston City Council will hold a telephonic meeting at 5 p.m. The dial-in number is 1-800-747-5150 and the access code is 7243729#.
“While it is still too early to know exactly what the impacts of Tropical Storm Florence will be on the city, the time for citizens to prepare is now,” said City of Charleston Emergency Management director Shannon Scaff. “Make sure you have a family plan, emergency supplies in place and decide now what you would need to secure and take with you, if the Governor were to order an evacuation.”
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 and the FEMA app.
The city’s Citizen Services Desk at 843-724-7311 will be staffed to answer questions about the storm and the city’s preparations beginning at noon tomorrow, Sunday, September 9. Additional hurricane preparedness information can be found at
www.scemd.org.