At 8 a.m. this morning, the city of Charleston shifted to OPCON 1 in coordination with Charleston County, which indicates full activation of the Municipal Emergency Operations Center (MEOC) and the highest state of emergency operations.
Charleston City Council will hold a telephonic meeting at 3 p.m. today to discuss updates to Hurricane Dorian’s track and potential local impacts. The dial-in number for the meeting is 1-800-747-5150 and the access code is 5777434. The agenda for the meeting is attached.
The city’s Stormwater Department continues to perform pre-storm preventative maintenance on storm drains and ditches, and has secured temporary pumps that will be staged in low-lying areas prone to flooding.
Parks Department staff began securing city buildings this morning and will continue throughout the day.
Beginning at 8 a.m. tomorrow, the city of Charleston will have a limited number of free sand and bags available for residents to build their own sand bags. Residents should bring their own shovels for assembly. Staff will be on-site to provide assistance, as needed.
Pick-up locations are being finalized and will be announced later today.
A limit of 10 sandbags per car will apply to all residents visiting these locations. To purchase additional sandbags, citizens should contact a local home hardware store.
A decision on whether and when to open city parking garages to citizens will be made as more information on the storm’s track and potential impacts becomes available.
The city of Charleston Citizens Services Desk (843-724-7311) is staffed to answer citizens’ questions about the city’s preparations for the storm. Residents are also encouraged to review the city’s Hurricane Information webpage, which can be accessed at http://www.charleston-sc.gov/hurricane-information.
City officials will remain in close communication with Charleston County and other local agencies throughout the weekend, and will continue to receive regular updates from the National Weather Service regarding the storm’s track and potential local impacts.
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. Additional hurricane preparedness information can be found at www.scemd.org.