stormwatch

Get help soon in Berkeley County

Berkeley County Emergency Preparedness Director Jason Patno said residents who need assistance should call 719-4800 as soon as possible.

"They need to seek shelter before we start to feel those effects, otherwise make preparations to shelter in place," Patno said.

As of 11: 30 a.m., no problems have been reported in Berkeley, Patno said.

There are no power outages, he said. "The weather right now is little a little overcast, but the winds are not
blowing and it's not raining," Patno said.

Coming up: Updates, announcements

The 5 a.m. NHC update was the big news this morning, and local officials are discussing it on the 7:30 a.m. Emergency Operations Center conference call at this hour.

We're still about 15 minutes away from the 8 a.m. NHC update on Ernesto. That's typically a positional and data update -- no new forecasting will get done until the 11 a.m. advisory.

After that, we'll be looking ahead toward a 9 a.m. EOC press conference, and once again Robert Behre is our reporter there. The county has been at its OPCON 1 since last night, but Robert doesn't anticipate big headlines out of this morning's event. Most of the important decisions were made yesterday, so the most likely scenario is that local officials will talk about the forecast, remind people of what to do and expect, then take a few questions.

Questions? Leave us a comment here on the site and we'll try to answer them.

Shelter update

One additional shelter has opened in Charleston County. Alice Birney Middle School, 7750 Pinehurst St. in North Charleston, will serve as a shelter for individuals with special needs.

Charleston County has a complete guide for emergency preparedness for those with disabilities. You can read it online.

As of 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, there was one person at the Stall High School shelter in North Charleston, and 14 in residence at the North Charleston High School shelter.

In Dorchester County, open shelters include Fort Dorchester High School, 8500 Patriot Blvd.;         
Summerville High School, 835 So. Main St.; Woodland High School, 4128 US Hwy. 78 in St. George ; and a Special Medical Needs shelter has opened at Summerville Senior Center, 312 N. Laurel St., Summerville. Please call 202-7100 for information on this shelter.

Berkeley County residents who need non-emergency transportation assistance to the county's shelter locations should call 843-719-4800.  The  Berkeley shelters open include  Berkeley High School
406 W. Main Street - Moncks Corner ; Goose Creek High School, 1137 Red Bank Road; and a special medical needs shelter at Berkeley Intermediate School, 777 Stoney Landing Road in Moncks Corner.

Charleston County update

6:15 p.m. Ernesto News Updates from Charleston County Emergency Operations Center

Charleston County will remain at Operating Condition (OPCON) 1 throughout Wednesday night and into Thursday, Aug. 1. The OPCON 1 level means a disaster or emergency situation is in effect, full-fledged emergency response operations are on-going, and Charleston County is at the highest state of emergency operations.

The Town of Mount Pleasant offices will be open as usual tomorrow, but will review releasing non-essential personnel by noon.

Roper St. Francis Healthcare has outlined the following plans in response to Tropical Storm Ernesto:
-    We will proceed with most, if not all, clinical and diagnostic services (including surgeries) tomorrow, Thursday, August 31.
-    All RSFH facilities, including Lowcountry Senior Center on James Island, will remain open unless otherwise indicated below:

Facility Closings:
Roper St. Francis Medical Center Mount Pleasant (570 Long Point Road) will be closed Thursday, August 31. 
Roper St. Francis Kiawah Seabrook Medical & Urgent Care Center (345 Freshfields Drive) will open as usual Thursday, August 31 and plans to close at 12 noon unless weather conditions call for closing earlier.
Roper St. Francis Learning Center will be closed Thursday, August 31. 
Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC): 
All clinics including services in Rutledge Tower and Carolina Family Care will be closed Thursday, Aug. 31, and employees in those areas do not need to report to work.
University classes are canceled for Thursday.
For the main hospital, inpatient clinical and support staff essential for patient care are needed. This means staff will need to report at the regularly scheduled time and plan on remaining longer than usual (e.g., up to 10:00 p.m.), depending on conditions.
All MUSC, MUHA and UMA managers should use appropriate discretion in approving leave for employees who are not essential for patient care and support services.
Regardless of employees’ normal parking location, the following garages will be open for employee parking on Thursday; County, Rutledge Tower, Harborview and Ashley. The President Street garage (PGII) will be open for employees who regularly park in PGII and for any IOP employees.
Because of expected flooding there will be no MUSC bus service after 1:00 a.m. Thursday morning, and Hagood parking lot will not be available. Garages will be open at 5:30 a.m. Thursday morning.

Special medical needs shelter:
Alice Birney Middle School (7750 Pinehurst Street; N. Charleston, SC 29420) is only for special medical needs citizens. Each special medical needs person must bring one caregiver with them. Not everyone with a disability or a special need can take refuge at a special medical needs shelter. Only those who have specific medical conditions that require electricity or special monitoring can go to a special medical needs shelter. Call 202-7100 to determine if your circumstances indicate a plan to attend a special medical needs shelter.

Bond court will be open: All Charleston County Government Offices will be closed on Thursday, Aug. 31, including the court systems. BUT Charleston County Centralized Bond Hearing Court will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31. It is anticipated that Bond Court will resume normal business hours on Friday, Sept. 1.

FEMA Comes To Town

From Staff Writer Bo Peterson:

Thirty-three FEMA emergency response team members arrived in Columbia this afternoon and moved to motels within the city to wait for possible assignments along the coast.

AFB evacuating C-17s

Charleston Air Force Base is evacuating all operational C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at the station due to impending severe weather.

Aircraft will be moved today to Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

The aircraft are being evacuated to ensure the airlift mission around the world will continue during the duration of storm here. All inbound military flights have been diverted from the air base.

Thursday base closings include, the base exchange, commissary and legal office. The medical group, including the base pharmacy, will close at noon.

Charleston School Closings

From the Charleston  County School District:

Charleston County School District schools and offices will be closed Thursday because of Tropical Storm Ernesto.

Only essential school district personnel will be working. All after-school programs will also be closed. This decision was made based upon the projected path and intensity of the storm, as well as the need for the school buildings to be used as shelters.

Throughout the day tomorrow we will monitor the intensity of the storm.  Should current forecasts hold, it is likely schools will also be closed on Friday. 

We need to assess each school’s physical condition.  Again, this is a precaution to ensure the safety of students and staff.  A final decision regarding Friday will be announced tomorrow.

Red Cross Assessing Needs

The American Red Cross, Carolina Lowcountry Chapter is currently preparing for the anticipated landfall of Tropical Storm Ernesto.

The Red Cross is assessing the needs of their local Chapter and will be continuing to mobilize the necessary resources that may be needed to assist those in need. In addition to the local staff and volunteers that are currently serving on the disaster relief operation, the Carolina Lowcountry Chapter has also requested additional volunteers and Emergency Response Vehicles to be deployed to Charleston from other Chapter’s across the country.

The Carolina Lowcountry Chapter is prepared to open 11 shelters as Voluntary evacuations are issued throughout the Lowcountry.

• The Red Cross will open shelters in Charleston County at Stall High School and North Charleston High School at 3 pm today.

• In Dorchester County, the Red Cross will be opening shelters at Woodland High School, Fort Dorchester High School and Summerville High School at 3 pm.

• In Berkeley County, the Red Cross will be opening shelters at Goose Creek High School and Berkeley High School at 5 pm.

• Public Health officials will also be opening Special Needs Shelters at Berkeley Intermediate School, Alice Birney Middle School and Dorchester Senior Center at 3 p.m. today.

If you have any questions about Red Cross Shelters or if you would like more information on how you can prepare for a disaster, you can call the local Red Cross Chapter at (843) 764-2323 or visit www.LowcountryRedCross.org.

The two local Red Cross volunteers that had deployed to Montgomery, Alabama on Sunday are currently stationed in Miami, Florida and they are prepared to provide hot meals to the individuals devastated by this storm once the affected areas become accessible.

All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like Tropical Depression Ernesto, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disaster.

The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation. Call 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.

Charleston Water System

From the Charleston Emergency Operations Center:

In preparation for Tropical Storm Ernesto, Charleston Water System will operate with essential personnel only on Thursday, August 31.

As a result, walk-in and drive-thru customer service locations at 103 St. Philip Street (Downtown) and 6296 Rivers Avenue (North Charleston) will be closed, but our call center will be staffed during normal business hours. 

Customers may call (843) 727-6800 for assistance. Charleston Water System is taking precautions outlined in emergency plans but does not expect the storm to have any impact on water or sanitary sewer service.

Charleston Port Restrictions

From the Charleston Emergency Preparedness Center:

U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port has set condition Yankee: restricted vessel movement inbound and outbound) for the port of Charleston as of 11:45 am on Wednesday.

Charleston Shelter Info

From the Charleston Emergency Operations Center:

Shelter information regarding special needs/ disability/ special medical needs:

Not everyone with a disability or special need can take shelter at a Special Medical Needs Shelter. Only those who have a specific medical condition that requires electricity or special monitoring can go to a special medical needs shelter. Call 202-7100 to determine if your circumstances indicate a special medical needs shelter.

District 4 Closings

Schools reporter Mindy Hagen reports:

Interim Superintendent Jerry Montjoy announced that schools in Dorchester County District 4 will be closed on Thursday for students and staff. Woodland High School is being used as a shelter for the volunteer evacuation.

The shelter is scheduled to open at 3 p.m. today. Montjoy also advised parents, students and staff to monitor local news media for the status of school Friday 

Charleston Contact Numbers

Important Contact numbers for the public:

Charleston County's information lines are now active. Citizens with questions regarding Ernesto can contact the:

• Charleston County Citizen Information Hotline at (843) 202-7100

• Spanish Information Hotline at (843) 202-7191

If you need transportation to Charleston County emergency shelters please contact the citizen's information hotline to request pickup.

Family emergency planning information is available on the SCEMD Web site at www.scemd.org.

 

Charleston County's website is www.charlestoncounty.org has gone into an emergency mode, so citizens can log on and find out information about school closings, shelters, evacuations, family emergency planning, and other hurricane-related information. Citizens may also go to this site to download the Charleston County Hurricane Preparedness Guide, and to keep up to date with County news releases concerning Tropical Storm Ernesto. The Web site's regular functions, such as the online tax system, will still be operational in this emergency mode.

 

Visitor related questions may be directed to the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at (843) 853-8000, or you may visit www.charlestoncvb.com.

Charleston Recycling, Landfill Shut Down

Charleston County Recycling operations have been cancelled for Thursday, according to  Solid Waste officials.

The Bees Ferry Landfill will be closed, along with solid waste and recycling convenience centers located in rural areas of Charleston County.

No curbside recycling will be collected on Thursday. If weather permits, Thursday routes will be collected on Friday. Residents can call 720-7111 to confirm collection.

The Charleston County Recycling Center will be closed Thursday.

The Bees Ferry Landfill, County Recycling Center and all county convenience centers will reopen on Friday, if weather permits.

Charleston School Announcement

Charleston County Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson will make an announcement at 2 p.m. about whether Charleston schools will be open Thursday.

Colleton Schools Closed

Colleton County schools will be closed Thursday, and it's undetermined as to whether they will open Friday.

Charleston Services

The following information may be of assistance to residents of the area:

• Parking garages in the City of      Charleston owned by the City are available for resident’s vehicles. There will be no charge if all cars are      removed no later than 5:00 PM on Friday, September 1, 2006.

• No curbside recycling will be collected      by the County on Thursday. Thursday routes will be collected on Friday, September 1,      conditions permitting. Call 720-7111      to confirm.

• There will be no Thursday trash and      garbage collection. Conditions permitting, trash and garbage will be      collected on Friday. If you have debris or bags at the street for      collection tomorrow, please bring them back into your yard. Material floating around will clog      drains and exacerbate any flooding.

• The City of Charleston Police      Department will be sending lists of streets deemed impassable to all local      media. Please stay tuned for that information. Please do not drive into ANY street which is covered with      water.

• Please take the time to go look at the      storm drain inlets in your neighborhood. Clean away any fallen leaves or debris which might float over and      cover the inlet. It can make a difference in any potential flooding.

Berkeley County Schools, Shelters

From the Berkeley County School District:

We will make a decision about school closings prior to 6:00 p.m. and will announce immediately.

The EOC has determined that three of our schools, Berkeley High, Goose Creek High, and Berkeley Intermediate will open today at 5:00p.m. as voluntary evacuation shelters. Berkeley Intermediate is the designated medical needs shelter.

In addition to these three sanctioned shelters, the Berkeley County School District will open Cainhoy Elementary/Middle School at 5:00 p.m. to support families in an area where no Red Cross shelter is provided. The Canhoy area, like other low lying areas, has no Red Cross sanctioned shelter due to the potential for flooding and isolation due to blocked access.

The Cainhoy school will operate under the same standards as other shelters; however, no medical services will be provided and district leadership will have decision-making authority.

This is a one-time decision based on the best information about this storm. We encourage anyone seeking shelter who can get to the Moncks Corner Red Cross shelters to do so, especially if they need medical attention.

Mount Pleasant services/cancellations

Mac Burdette, Mount Pleasant Town Administrator says:

Following Charleston County's voluntary evacuation orders today at noon for residents on barrier islands, beaches, low lying areas (especially east of Highway 17) and mobile or manufactured homes, Mount Pleasant plans activate its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on a limited basis at Town Hall Municipal Complex on Thursday at 8 a.m.

I would like to again stress a measured response to this storm. Our worst case scenario, based on available data, is that Ernesto could be a repeat of Tropical Storm Gaston in 2004.  Gaston downed power lines and trees, generated tons of debris costing more than $1 million for clean up.  Our staff is prepared and has taken measures to face the threat of Ernesto head on.

GARBAGE
Tomorrow, Mount Pleasant Public Services staff will give maximum effort to the collection of garbage for Thursdaybs routes.  Please put out your container as you routinely do and note that we will not pick up yard debris on Thursday.  If your roll-out container has not been picked up by the time wind speeds pick up on Thursday, bring it back inside and take it out again on Friday morning for pick up.  The Mount Pleasant Public Services Department is planning to complete garbage routes by noon if possible and concentrate on storm debris clean up on Friday and possibly on Saturday.

SANDBAGS
Filled sandbags are free and available to residents at the following locations today after noon. Supply is limited and on a first-come, first served basis.
Locations:
Royall & Ferry
Snee Farm entrances (Whipple Road & Highway 17)
Food Lion (Coleman Boulevard)
Pearl Street (midpoint)
Kincade Street (midpoint)
Hughes Rental (parking lot)
Whole Foods Shopping Center (Houston Northcutt)
Astor Court (Snee Farm)
Beaumont Apartments (entrance)

RECREATION PROGRAMS
All Thursday afternoon and evening recreational programs are cancelled.  For additional information, contact the Recreation Department Rainout Hot Line at (843) 884-2278, extension 6771.

COURT
Court will not be in session on Thursday, August 31. Residents are invited to contact the Court Hot Line at (843) 849-2796 for additional information and Friday schedule.

TOWN NON-ESSENTIAL SERVICES
Depending on weather conditions, the Town may suspend non-essential services early on Thursday, August 31 to allow non-essential staff to get home from work safely.

CANCELLATIONS
The Public Informational Meeting at Cario/Pinckney cafeteria, scheduled for Thursday, August 31, at 6:30 p.m., for residents north of Long Point Road has been cancelled.  The meeting will be rescheduled and the new date/time advertised shortly.

The Coleman Boulevard Revitalization Advisory Board Meeting scheduled for Thursday, August 31, at 12 noon has been cancelled.  The meeting has been rescheduled for Friday, September 1, at 12 noon, at Town Hall Municipal Complex, 100 Ann Edwards Lane, Room 103.

BRIDGE CLOSING PROCEDURES
According to the South Carolina Department of Transportation, bridge closings are determined on a case by case basis, depending on wind speed and bridge structure.  There are no set wind speeds dictating the closure of a bridge.  It is a joint decision made between the Mount Pleasant, Charleston, Isle of Palms and Sullivanbs Island police departments in coordination with the Charleston County Emergency Preparedness Division and the South Carolina Department of Transportation.  Closings may affect certain types of vehicles before others.  We can anticipate that some time tomorrow, high level bridges will be closed.  The public should adjust their travel plans accordingly.

OTHER CONTACTS
To contact the EOC, call (843) 884-4176 after 8:00 am on Thursday, August 31. For information on flooding in your neighborhood, you may contact the Public Services Department at (843) 849-2022.  To check on flood zones, contact the Planning Department at (843) 884-1229.

Ernesto at 11 p.m.

The National Weather Service says a hurricane watch remains in effect from north of Altamaha Sound to Cape Fear, N.C., but the 11 p.m. advisory shows that the track has shifted to the east.

Over the past several hours, Ernesto has been moving toward the North-Northwest at near 8 MPH...13 KM/HR.  A turn to the north with an increase in forward speed is expected over the next 24 hours.

How much strengthening occurs after Ernest emerges into the Atlantic depends on how much of a storm is left. The GFDL model still wants to make Ernesto a hurricane in the Atlantic. Out of respect for the model, the official intensity for a Carolina's landfall is only reduced slightly.

There are no significant changes to the current forecast track or intensity of Ernesto.

An inland tropical storm watch remains in effect of Dorchester and Berkeley Counties and residents there should keep an eye out for rain and thunderstorms. 

Maximum winds are near 45 mph with higher gusts. Some weakening is expected later as the system moves inland. There remains a slight chance that Ernesto could strengthen to a hurricane on Thursday as it approaches the Carolina coast. 

Boaters on Lake Moultrie can expect extremely dangerous conditions on the lake Wednesday night through Thursday night.

County emergency info

Charleston County has a Hurricane Preparedness Guide and a news page for information about the county's operational conditions this week in preparation for Tropical Storm Ernesto.  Here's today's news release.

Berkeley County's Web site  has an Emergency Hurricane Page.

Dorchester County's Web site has a page devoted to its Emergency Services Department and a Shelter Guide with Map Links. New hurricane information is on its Storm Page.

Here is Colleton County's Emergency Preparedness site and its Flood Awareness page.

Georgetown County's Emergency Management page is here.

Horry County's Hurricane Information Center has local advisories.

Gov. Sanford's press conference

Gov. Mark Sanford told emergency preparedness officials after the 11 a.m. update that he has alerted the National Guard that it might be needed sometime tomorrow.  He stressed that this is not a major storm, but urged that residents begin to make plans for their families in case the storm strengthens during the day.

So far, there are no mandatory evacuation routes, or firm evacuation plans. Officials are meeting at 1 p.m. to make more decisions.