stormwatch

Raining out Shakespeare

College of Charleston's theater performance of King Lear, on Thursday, August 31, has been canceled.  If you have already purchased tickets for that night, please contact the box office (953.5604 or oleksiakm@cofc.edu) to switch to another date.

King Lear by William Shakespeare
Friday, Sept. 1 through Tuesday, Sept. 5
Curtain times are at 8 p.m., except Sunday, Sept. 3 at 3 p.m.
Emmett Robinson Theatre, Simons Center for the Arts, 54 St. Philip Street
$15 general admission / $10 students and senior citizens :: For reservations call 953.5604.
Season subscriptions available – Please inquire by calling 953.5604.

Berkeley County Schools, Offices Closed

Berkeley County Schools and offices will be closed Thursday due to anticipated weather conditions. They will reopen Friday on a regular schedule.

S.C. Federal Credit Union Closings

South Carolina Federal Credit Union plans to close some coastal area branches on Thursday to safeguard members and employees from the threat of Tropical Depression Ernesto:

Closed all day Thursday:

• Downtown -- 140 Bee Street, Charleston

Closing at 1 p.m. on Thursday:

• Southampton - 1620 Hwy 17 North, Mt. Pleasant

• East Cooper - 910 Houston Northcutt Blvd, Mt. Pleasant

• James Island - 1317 Folly Road, Charleston

• Georgetown - 1701 Highmarket, Georgetown

• Georgetown Plaza - 1251 North Fraser St, Georgetown

CARTA Expects Normal Routes

From the Charleston County Emergency Operations Center:

CARTA will run normal routes on Thursday as long as the winds are less then 40 MPH.

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.

Hospital Updates

Open

• Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center will remain open and providing all services, including elective surgeries. Hospital officials said they will continue to monitor the weather and make additionaldecisions as needed, particularly as they pertain to possible power outages.

Closed

• All Medical University of South Carolina clinics, including services in Rutledge Tower and Carolina Family Care, will be closed Thursday, and employees in those areas do not need to report to work.

• University classes are canceled for Thursday. Because of expected flooding, there will be no MUSC bus service after 1 a.m. Thursday, and the Hagood parking lot will not be available.

• MUSC Elective surgeries are also canceled.

• All of Thursday’'s outpatient appointments at Charleston'’s Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, and the hospital’'s Urgent Care Clinic will also be closed on Thursday. Employees will call to reschedule appointments, but patients who need information can call 789-6400 or 1-888-878-6884.

Doc Williams SPCA Closed

From Berkeley County Reporter Yvonne Wenger:

Doc Williams Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Berkeley County closed at noon today and will be closed Thursday. The county'’s animal control officers will only respond to emergency calls today and Thursday.

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.

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 

North Charleston Trash Pickup

North Charleston residents who have trash collection pickup today are asked not to place garbage and brush on the street for pickup because of Tropical Depression Ernesto.

The city will  run the collection route Friday.

Call 725-1026 for more information. 

Port Of Charleston

Gates at the Port of Charleston are open today for pick-up and delivery of loads only until 5 p.m. The gates will be closed Thursday and reopen at 7 a.m. Friday. 

If Your Power Goes Out:

If you electricity goes out, report it to:

Berkeley Electric Co-op, (888) 253-4232.

Santee Cooper General, (888) 769-7688.

Santee Electric, (888) 239-2300.

SCE&G (888) 333-4465.

Coastal Electric, (843) 538-5700.


note: all phone numbers have been called and are correct

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 Debris

Berkeley County Water & Sanitation Authority may activate an emergency contract to assist in the removal of storm-generated debris.

If a contract is activated, residents will not need to set up an appointment to have storm waste collected.

Storm debris would need to be placed at the curb side in a county or state right-of-way. Debris will not be removed from private property or private roads. Residents are asked to separate debris into piles such as yard waste, household garbage and metal. Items such as tires, shingles and household hazardous waste will not be accepted.

For more information, residents can call 572-4400, 761-8817 or 567-2061.

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.

Parking garages, trash pickups

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.