The city emergency operations are at OPCON 1 as officials assist the state with the I-26 lane reversal, continue to monitor Hurricane Florence’s track and prepare for potential impacts to the Charleston area.
Consistent with the ongoing evacuation, non-essential City of Charleston services stopped at noon today. The municipal emergency operations center remains open and city employees continue working on storm preparations.
City of Charleston parking garages (except for the Gaillard Center garage) are now open for citizens to park their vehicles for free for the duration of the storm. Parking garage locations can be found on the city’s website here:
http://www.charleston-sc.gov/index.aspx?nid=1025.
With the announcement that the Charleston County Bees Ferry Landfill will remain in operation tomorrow, the city of Charleston will collect Tuesday’s garbage and trash routes tomorrow (Wed., Sept 12). Once those routes have been collected, crews will begin collecting Wednesday’s routes, as time permits. This applies to city routes on James Island, in downtown and West Ashley inside of I-526.
More than 19,000 sandbags were distributed in the city today. Sandbags will be available tomorrow, while supplies last, at all four locations: the old Piggly Wiggly site on Sumar Street in West Ashley, the Charleston Fire Station at 1985 Bees Ferry Road in West Ashley, the Public Service building at 2150 Milford Street on the peninsula and James Island Town Hall at 1122 Dills Bluff Road.
Charleston Fire Department assisted with the I-26 lane reversal, canvassed mobile home communities to distribute hurricane safety and evacuation information and visited construction sites to ensure they have been secured.
Public Service employees continued work today clearing storm drains and drainage ditches. They also assisted citizens at the sandbag distribution sites.
Parks employees secured all parks and city facilities, assisted public service clearing storm drains and trimmed street trees.