Five to seven days before a hurricane makes landfall:
- Notify friends/family of where you will go if you need to evacuate. Have both a local and an out-of-town friend/relative that your family members can call in case they become separated from you during or after the disaster.
- Use up excess food in your refrigerator/freezer.
- Make hotel reservations in the event that you have to evacuate. Residents in our area will be routed toward North Augusta and Aiken County. Make sure the hotel/motel you choose is beyond the evacuated area.
- Don’t let the gas in your car drop below 3⁄4 of a tank. Be prepared to evacuate by backing your car into the garage or parking it in an open space facing the direction of your escape. Shut car doors and roll up the windows. Leave the key in the ignition. Keep a spare key in your pocket.
- Close garage windows and doors, but leave them unlocked. Disconnect the automatic garage door opener.
- Listen to the local weather updates. Here are some sources of information.
– Local Live5 weather at http://www.live5news.com/weather,
– NOAA’s National Hurricane Center at hurricanes.gov,
– The local National Weather Service at weather.gov/chs. At weather.gov/chs they will provide impact graphics, storm surge height, storm warnings and watches.
– The South Carolina Emergency Management Division at scemd.org. This site provides lists of resources plus weather alerts.
– WEZL 103.5 radio, WIWF 96.9 radio and ETVradio 89.3 radio are participants in the nation-wide Emergency Alert System.
– Tidelines will also provide updates on email and our Twitter account (Tidelines Alert) as we are able, but check the above sources of information as well.
Be aware that the Weather Channel will not have the same level of local reporting that the sources above will have. Also, keep in mind that the Limehouse bridge is closed when the winds reach 40 mph or greater, so evacuate before that happens or you will be stranded here riding out the storm.
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- Add TidelinesAlert to your Twitter account.
- Bookmark on your laptop and add to your cellphone the Berkeley Electric Cooperative’s website so that you will be able to see where there are electrical outages (http://outageviewer.becsc.com:88).
- Add the Town of Seabrook Island’s website (www.townofseabrookisland.org), Twitter feed (@seabrookislnd87) and the Town’s emergency number to your computer/cell phone. The emergency number is 888-314-3177.
- Gather your supplies together. Check over everything and make sure flashlights work, you have sufficient food that has not passed its expiration date, buy more bottled water, etc.
- Prepare your pet’s emergency supply kit.
During a Hurricane Watch, the storm will usually make landfall within 36 hours.
- Bring in unsecured items (outdoor furniture, grill, bird feeders) – – anything that could become a projectile.
- Cover windows/glass doors, move furnishings away from windows.
A Hurricane Warning is issued when the storm is expected to make landfall within 24 hours.
- If told to evacuate, secure your home and leave immediately, turning off the main power switch, water to your home, and the propane at the gas tank before you leave.
- Keep in mind that the Limehouse bridge is closed when the winds reach 40 mph or greater, so evacuate before that happens or you will be stranded here riding out the storm.
- If you are not advised to evacuate, remain indoors away from windows.
(Photo credit: NASA.gov/edu)
Remember, be prepared; stay safe.
-Tidelines Editors