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Hurricane Florence Update #10
September 15, 2018 -- 11:00 AM The Governor’s evacuation order for all of Charleston County was lifted effective as of 12:00 noon on Saturday, 15 September and at the same time the Mayor lifted the State of Emergency for Seabrook Island. Charleston County Sheriff’s deputies will no longer control access to Kiawah and Seabrook Islands. The SIPOA security gate will return to normal operations early Saturday afternoon, 15 September. Evacuated residents who are returning to Seabrook Island are advised that Main, Bohicket and Betsy Kerrison are clear as of 11:00 am but motorists should continue to exercise caution. Stores at Freshfields Village remained closed as of Saturday morning 15 September. The Town’s emergency response readiness status will be updated to follow the readiness status of Charleston County Emergency Management Department, which is expected to be reduced at noon Saturday, 15 September. As of 11:00 am on Saturday, 15 September, the National Hurricane Center reported that Florence is now a tropical storm and all watches and warnings for Charleston County have been canceled. The threat for sustained tropical storm force winds has ended, although occasional tropical storm force gusts and periods of heavy rain are still expected. Berkeley Electric advised the Town Saturday morning, 15 September that their status has not changed. They reported 600 power outages in their service area, none on Seabrook Island. Saturday morning, 15 September, St. Johns Fire District informed the Town that it had returned equipment to the Seabrook Island station. For emergency response, please call 911. For questions concerning non-emergency assistance during a state of emergency, please call the Charleston County Citizen’s Information Hotline at (843) 746-3900. For emergency updates and announcements from the Town of Seabrook Island:
Property Owners with rental guests should forward this notice to their rental guests. It is expected that the next Tropical Storm Florence information update may be issued no earlier than late afternoon on Saturday, 15 September; earlier updates will be issued as circumstances require. Hurricane Florence Update #7
September 13, 2018 -- 10:30 AM Berkeley Electric Cooperative (BEC) has advised the Town that in the event that water levels threaten to flood its substations, the decision will be made to shut them down to avoid the potential for catastrophic damage. BEC is urging residents of the islands to prepare for extended power outages. This is especially important for residents who have medical needs requiring power. In the event of a power outage, BEC will not be able to provide a timeline for restoration until after the storm has passed and the damage to its system can be evaluated. The expected storm surge could result in coastal flooding which may close roadways and hinder BEC’s ability to respond to outages. Additionally, given that much of its distribution system is underground, crews will have to wait for flood waters to recede before beginning restoration efforts. Although this may be inconvenient, this process will actually speed up recovery. BEC has indicated that it is fully staffed and prepared to handle any potential outages resulting from Hurricane Florence. It has also secured mutual aid from neighboring states to supply additional personnel as needed. Due to work safety, crews will not be able to begin restoration efforts until after sustained wind speeds are under 39 mph. During a major outage, BEC’s goal is to prioritize restoration of power to serve the largest number of residents possible. This may mean that individual residents could be without power for a longer period. The Town urges residents to continue to monitor reporting of Hurricane Florence (e.g., www.nhc.noaa.gov) and emergency response agencies for changes pertaining to potential storm impacts. Information concerning residential hurricane preparations is available at the Town’s website (townofseabrookisland.org) under “Emergency Preparedness.” While forecasts of movement of Hurricane Florence currently indicate movement of the most severe impacts north of Charleston County, the Town encourages residents to adhere to the Governor’s evacuation For emergency response, please call 911. For questions concerning non-emergency assistance during a state of emergency, please call the Charleston County Citizen’s Information Hotline at (843) 746-3900. For emergency updates and announcements from the Town of Seabrook Island:
Property Owners with rental guests should forward this notice to their rental guests. It is expected that the next Hurricane Florence information update will be issued early afternoon on Thursday, 13 September. Hurricane Florence Update #6
September 12, 2018 -- 6:00 PM Berkeley Electric has advised that it is no longer able to confirm that it will not pre-emptively turn off power for Seabrook and Kiawah Islands, as we have previously reported. Berkeley stresses that there are no immediate plans to turn off power within the next twenty-four hours. However, because the situation remains fluid and it appears Florence will have a greater impact on our area than originally thought, there is now a greater possibility that it may have to shut off power to protect its equipment and avoid an even lengthier power outage. While the information provided is tentative, we are passing it on to give residents and property owners an early heads up. Because we have reported on Berkeley's intentions in the past, we thought it necessary to keep you informed of the latest developments. We will continue to keep you advised as soon as we learn anything further. For emergency response, please call 911. For questions concerning non-emergency assistance during a state of emergency, please call the Charleston County Citizen’s Information Hotline at (843) 746-3900. For emergency updates and announcements from the Town of Seabrook Island:
Property Owners with rental guests should forward this notice to their rental guests. It is expected that the next Hurricane Florence information update will be issued early afternoon on Thursday, 13 September. Hurricane Florence Update #5
September 12, 2018 -- 2:00 PM As of 11:00 am on Wednesday, 12 September, the National Hurricane Center reported that Hurricane Florence remained a category 4 storm (sustained winds of 130 – 156 mph) and the forecasted path and timing of landfall remains uncertain. The Governor’s evacuation order for all of Charleston County remains in effect as of 12 September. As of noon on Wednesday, 12 September, the emergency response readiness status of Charleston County Emergency Management Department remains at OPCON 1, and its emergency information telephone service (843-746-3900) was continuously available. The Town’s emergency response readiness status remains at OPCON 1 and the Town’s State of Emergency remains in effect. As of 5:00 pm Wednesday, 12 September, Charleston County Sheriff’s deputies will be stationed between the Freshfields traffic circle and the entrance from Betsy Kerrison Parkway to Kiawah’s Town Hall to control access to Kiawah and Seabrook Islands. To gain access to Seabrook Island, motorists will be required to show residency or property ownership. The Seabrook Island Property Owners Association has arranged with its security contractor to have security personnel posted at the security gate throughout the storm. From 5:00 pm, 12 September, security officers may request proof of residency or property ownership to allow access through the gate; no guest passes will be honored. On Wednesday, Berkeley Electric confirmed that it had no current intentions to pre-emptively cut power; it may do so if circumstances change and conditions worsen. The Town will notify residents of any change in that regard immediately upon being advised accordingly by Berkeley Electric. The Seabrook Island Utility Commission has brought in generators and by-pass pumps and is prepared to provide backup power generation for the sewerage system should there be an extended power outage. Seabrook Island Utility Commission has no present intention to interrupt water or sewerage services. The Town urges residents to continue to monitor reporting of Hurricane Florence (e.g., www.nhc.noaa.gov) and emergency response agencies for changes pertaining to potential storm impacts. Information concerning residential hurricane preparations is available at the Town’s website (townofseabrookisland.org) under “Emergency Preparedness.” While forecasts of movement of Hurricane Florence currently indicate movement of the most severe impacts north of Charleston County, the Town encourages residents to adhere to the Governor’s evacuation order. For emergency response, please call 911. For questions concerning non-emergency assistance during a state of emergency, please call the Charleston County Citizen’s Information Hotline at (843) 746-3900. For emergency updates and announcements from the Town of Seabrook Island:
Property Owners with rental guests should forward this notice to their rental guests. It is expected that the next Hurricane Florence information update will be issued early afternoon on Thursday, 13 September. Hurricane Florence Update #4
September 11, 2018 -- 2:00 PM As of 11:00 am on Tuesday, 11 September, the National Hurricane Center reported that Hurricane Florence remains a category 4 storm (sustained winds of 130 – 156 mph). While the Governor has announced changes to the evacuation order, the evacuation order remains in effect for all of Charleston County. To facilitate the evacuation, all eastbound lanes on I-26 between Columbia and Charleston have been reversed as of 12:00 pm Tuesday. Charleston County Emergency Management Department increased its emergency readiness status to OPCON 1 on Tuesday, 11 September. In accordance with Town policy to follow the lead of Charleston County, on Tuesday, 11 September, the Town increased its emergency response readiness status to OPCON 1, reflecting the existence of an evacuation order applicable to the Town. Also effective Tuesday, 11 September, the Mayor declared a State of Emergency and ordered that all Town meetings, including board and commission meetings, scheduled for the week of 11 September be rescheduled to a later date. Town Hall was closed noon on 11 September and will remain closed until the Governor’s evacuation order is lifted. While circumstances may change, Berkeley Electric has confirmed that, as of now, it does not intend to pre-emptively cut power to Seabrook Island. The Seabrook Island Utility Commission is not planning to interrupt water or sewerage services. As of 5:00 pm on Wednesday, 12 September, Charleston County Sheriff’s deputies will be stationed between the Freshfields traffic circle and the entrance from Betsy Kerrison Parkway to Kiawah’s Town Hall to control access to Kiawah and Seabrook Islands. To gain access to Seabrook Island, motorists will be required to show residency or property ownership. The Town urges residents to continue to monitor reporting of Hurricane Florence and emergency response agencies for changes pertaining to potential storm impacts. Information concerning residential hurricane preparations is available at the Town’s website (townofseabrookisland.org) under “Emergency Preparedness.” While forecasts of movement of Hurricane Florence currently indicate movement of the most severe impacts north of Charleston County, the Town encourages residents to adhere to the Governor’s evacuation order. For emergency response, please call 911. For questions concerning non-emergency assistance during a state of emergency, please call the Charleston County Citizen’s Information Hotline at (843) 746-3900. For emergency updates and announcements from the Town of Seabrook Island:
Property Owners with rental guests should forward this notice to their rental guests. It is expected that the next Hurricane Florence information update will be issued early afternoon on Wednesday, 12 September. Hurricane Florence Update #3
September 10, 2018 -- 3:00 PM As of 12:00 pm on Monday, 10 September, the National Hurricane Center reported upgrading of Hurricane Florence to a category 4 storm (sustained winds of 130–156 mph). At the Governor’s press conference Monday, 10 September, he announced an evacuation order for all of Charleston County effective noon Tuesday, 11 September. He also announced that I-26 lane reversal (southbound lanes reversed for traffic traveling northbound) would be effective at noon Tuesday, 11 September. All State and County government offices will be closed starting on Tuesday, 11 September until further notice. As of this notice, Berkeley Electric is not planning a pre-emptive power outage for Seabrook Island. In accordance with Town policy to follow the lead of Charleston County, the Town increased its emergency response readiness status to OPCON 2--indicating that the Town is undertaking advanced preparations for storm impact. Town Hall will be open for business until noon on Tuesday, 11 September. Town Council will meet afternoon Tuesday, 11 September to consider a declaration of a State of Emergency. Mayor Ciancio has instructed that all other Town meetings, including board and commission meetings, scheduled for this week be rescheduled to a later date. The Town urges residents to continue to monitor reporting of Hurricane Florence and emergency response agencies for changes pertaining to potential storm impacts. Information concerning residential hurricane preparations is available at the Town’s website (townofseabrookisland.org) under “Emergency Preparedness”. Residents are reminded that evacuation before the effect of the Governor’s evacuation order is the best way to ensure availability of a relatively direct route to a preferred evacuation destination. For emergency response, please call 911. For questions concerning non-emergency assistance during a state of emergency, please call the Charleston County Citizen’s Information Hotline at (843) 746-3900. For emergency updates and announcements from the Town of Seabrook Island:
Property Owners with rental guests should forward this notice to their rental guests. It is expected that the next Hurricane Florence information update will be issued early afternoon on Tuesday, 11 September. Hurricane Florence Update #2
September 9, 2018 -- 2:00 PM As of 11:00 am on Sunday, 9 September, the National Hurricane Center reported upgrading of Tropical Storm Florence to a hurricane. During the Charleston County Emergency Management Department (Charleston County EMD) noon conference call 9 September, the County announced it had increased its emergency response readiness status to OPCON 3 at 8:00 am on Sunday, 9 September. As reported by Charleston County EMD, there is a potential, depending on the course and strength of Hurricane Florence, that the Governor could order evacuation as early as 4:00 pm on Monday, 10 September affecting some or all South Carolina coastal communities. The course and strength of Florence continues to change. As of 2:00 pm, 9 September, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasting reflects that the Charleston area will not encounter impacts of tropical storm force winds before early morning, Thursday, 13 September. In accordance with Town policy to follow the lead of Charleston County, as of 12:00 pm on Sunday, 9 September the Town has increased its emergency response readiness status to OP CON 3--indicating that a disaster or emergency event is likely or imminent. Town Hall will be open for normal business hours on Monday, 10 September. In the event of an evacuation order by the Governor applicable to Seabrook Island, all Town services will be suspended. Local emergency services may not be able to respond during storm impacts. The Town urges residents to continue to monitor reporting of Hurricane Florence and emergency response agencies for changes pertaining to potential storm impacts. Information concerning residential hurricane preparations is available at the Town’s website (townofseabrookisland.org) under “Emergency Preparedness”. Residents are reminded that evacuation before an order by the Governor is the best way to ensure availability of a relatively direct route to a preferred evacuation destination. For emergency response, please call 911. For questions concerning non-emergency assistance during a state of emergency, please call the Charleston County Citizen’s Information Hotline at (843) 746-3900. For emergency updates and announcements from the Town of Seabrook Island:
Property Owners with rental guests should forward this notice to their rental guests. It is expected that the next emergency information update will be issued by the Town in the early afternoon on Monday, 10 September. Tropical Storm Florence Update #1
September 8, 2018 -- 3:00 PM As a result of ongoing monitoring of Tropical Storm Florence, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division and the Charleston County Emergency Management Department announced Saturday, 8 September that emergency preparedness readiness status will be increased to Operations Condition 3 in the morning of Sunday, 9 September. The Governor is assessing the need for evacuation of all South Carolina coastal residents based on the direction and strength of Florence. If evacuation is ordered, that order could be announced as early as Monday, 10 September. Mayor Ciancio will increase the Town’s emergency readiness status to Operations Condition 3 on Sunday, 9 September. In OPCON 3, the Town is in a status of elevated preparedness for a disaster event and will reduce its operations. The Town urges the following preparations for potential hurricane impact: Property owners and visitors should review the hurricane preparedness steps in the Town’s website at townofseabrookisland.org, “Emergency Preparedness”. Upon an order of evacuation by the Governor, all Town services will be suspended and during storm impacts, emergency services for both Seabrook Island and Charleston County may not be able to respond. The evacuation route from Seabrook Island is south through Walterboro and on to Aiken. Evacuation before an order by the Governor is the best way to ensure availability of a more direct route to a preferred evacuation destination. For emergency response, please call 911. For questions concerning non-emergency assistance during a state of emergency, please call the Charleston County Citizen’s Information Hotline at (843) 746-3900. For emergency updates and announcements from the Town of Seabrook Island:
Property Owners with rental guests should forward this notice to their rental guests. It is expected that the next emergency information update will be issued by the Town in the early afternoon on Sunday, 9 September. |
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Town of Seabrook Island
2001 Seabrook Island Road Seabrook Island, SC 29455 Phone: (843) 768-9121 Email: [email protected] Town Hall Hours: M-F 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Privacy Policy |
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