Category: Traffic

Tech Forum: Emergency Information

Available Technology:

The technology that is used to facilitate gathering and sharing information included:

  1. Smart Phones: These phones allow access to the internet and a wide variety of applications that provide traffic, weather and emergency information.
  2. Flip phones are limited to accepting text messages; they do not support applications (apps) that provide emergency data.
  3. Computers – fully functional access to applications
  4. Tablets – fully functional access to applications
  5. Telephone- land lines. Accept only voice messages—CodeRED.TechForum

In all cases, it was stressed that the operating system, be it IOS, Android, Windows or an Apple OS, should be kept up to date.  Out of date systems will often result in failures in applications.

Available Sources: 

The discussion focused on the web sites and apps that provide weather, traffic and emergency information.

Web Sites:

  1. Local TV station web sites: Live5News.com, abcnews.com, etc.
  2. Weather.NOAA.gov
  3. Tidelinesblog.com
  4. SCDOT.gov   (Twitter hash tag= SCDOTpress)
  5. Waze.com
  6. TotalTraffic.com (for accident reports)
  7. Charles County Sheriff’s Office: http://www.ccso.charlestoncounty.gov
  8. TownofSeabrookIsland.org (Twittter hash tag =@SeabrookIsland87)
  9. Town of Seabrook Island toll free number: 1 800-764-8404
  10. CodeRED (Town of Seabrook Island)
  11. SIPOA Email-blast  and website: SIPOA.org

Apps:  (Available for both IOS and Android unless indicated):

  1. Live5Weather
  2. Waze(requires active GPS, collects and distributes public comments)
  3. Hurricainehub
  4. iHeartradio
  5. Total Traffic
  6. Scanner apps that mimic a radio canner – “5-0 Police Radio Scanner” for iPhone and iPad.” and “Scanner Radio” for Android for example. These apps transmit all the ‘chatter’ on the ‘air’; emergency information will be mixed with all other radio traffic.(Search the web for Police Scanner Apps.)
  7. Twitter – especially the Charleston County Sheriff office, CHSWS, @FreshfiledsVillage, National Weather Service
  8. Facebook was mentioned, but discussion indicated that Facebook information is generally not immediate.
  9. RSS feeds. A RSS feed Reader app (free) can be installed to facilitate “push” notification of emergency data from an app—like Tidelines where a notice is sent to you immediately. E-mail notices from Tidelines are generally received as  “pull” messages—the user has to go and get – or pull- the e-mail.

Other sources:

SIPOA receives notices from: (Examples)

  1. Seabrook Utility Commission (in case of drinking water hazards and flood water overflows)
  2. Fire Department of( road hazards on Seabrook that may interfere with rescue/emergency services; requests to stay off the roads unless travel is essential)
  3. Berkeley Electric of (dangerous electrical conditions—water in transformers).

These notices are posted to Tidelines and are sent to subscribers to the SIPOAE-mail blast.

Submitted by Lynn Kennedy

Dense Fog on Johns Island Roads Tuesday Dec 8

Channel 5 is reporting a “DENSE FOG ADVISORY in effect until 10 am for the tri-county area with visibility down to 1/4 mile or less.”  They go on to say that some roads on Johns Island may have zero visibility.

If you are travelling on or off the island this morning, please leave enough time to reach your destination safely.

For more on this story got to  http://www.live5news.com/weather

Submitted by Tidelines Staff

Emergency Information: Survey and Forum

SIPOA is investigating “lessons learned” regarding sources and accessibility of weather and road condition emergency information during the weather emergency of October 3-6 and the “King Tides” in late October/early November.

We know that residents used a number of sources and devices to stay up to date during these events. As we plan for future events, we are engaging in a two-part initiative to assess your needs and assist you with the use of available technologies.

Survey:
First, we’d like to know more about how you got information during the October/November events. We ask anyone who was keeping track of weather and traffic information at the time to take the following short survey.
SURVEY:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SIPOAemergencycommunications

This Monday: Forum
Second, we invite you to join us this Monday, December 7 at 6:00 pm at the Lake House for an Emergency Information Tech Forum. The forum will cover a wide range of sources and applications for emergency information, such as Waze, Tidelines, Live 5 Weather/News, CodeRED, NOAA, and more. In addition, we’ll discuss how keeping your operating system up to date can help you make better use of available technologies. Chad Droze from CompuExperts will be on hand to answer technical questions.

Let us help you make the most of your devices during these weather events. This is especially important going forward, as more record tides are expected in December and January.

—Shawna Jarrett, SIPOA

King Tides Are Back

We have more king tides hitting Seabrook Island starting Sunday, Nov 22, and continuing all week through next Sunday.  These may cause localized flooding in the area and on the roads.  Watch for alerts from the Town of Seabrook, SIPOA and Tidelines as well as other local media.  If you find spots with high water making the streets impassable or nearly impassable or closed, please send Tidelines a report via email at seabrookislandblog@gmail.com.  Please include your name on your report and the time when you witnessed the problem.  Do not drive through water of unknown depth!

Here is a link to a website that shows the tidal times and size of the tide for Deveaux Bank, which is directly off shore from the Pelican’s Nest and therefore the closest to Seabrook Island:   http://tides.willyweather.com/sc/charleston-county/deveaux-bank.html

Here are the high tides for each day with the morning tides expected to be the highest:

Sunday  Nov 22         3:55 a.m.      4:26 p.m.
Monday Nov 23         4:54 a.m.       5:24 p.m.
Tuesday Nov 24        5:51 a.m.       6:20 p.m.
Wednesday Nov 25   6:44 am.        7:12 p.m.
Thursday Nov 26       7:35 a.m.       8:02 p.m.
Friday Nov 27            8:24 a.m.       8:52 p.m.
Saturday Nov 28       9:13 a.m.        9:43 p.m.
Sunday Nov 29        10:03 a.m.

Submitted by Tidelines Staff

Roads and Safety Forum Draws Large Crowd

A large crowd of over 300 people attended the Road Projects and Safety Concerns forum at St. John’s High School Monday night, November 17th, sponsored by the Johns Island Council and Concerned Citizens of the Sea Island. There were presentations from law enforcement, fire department, and emergency response officials, but the largest amount of time and public interest was directed toward planned road improvement projects on Johns Island.

Representatives of the South Carolina DOT described improvements being planned in the near future for Main Road, Maybank Highway, Bohicket Road, and River Road.
Continue reading “Roads and Safety Forum Draws Large Crowd”

Reminder: Big Meetings on Tap for Monday, November 16

Two important meetings are on tap for this evening; Monday, November 16:

  1. Get the Scoop meeting with the SIPOA Board from 5:00 – 6:30 pm; Live Oak Hall at the Lake House.
  2. Community meeting on Johns Island Road Projects, sponsored by the Johns Island Council and Concerned Citizens of the Sea Islands; 6:30 pm; St. John’s High School, 1518 Main Road, Johns Island.

—Submitted by Tidelines Editor

Roads Update at 5pm

A Seabrooker has reported that between Seabrook Island and Maybank Highway there are 8 or 9 spots where water was flowing over the road or pooled on one side in the road.  Also, from Maybank Highway back to Seabrook on River Road, there are about 2 or 3 areas where water is pooling on the road.  Both Bohicket and River Roads are passable, but please exercise caution and drive slowly through them, especially as it gets darker this evening.

-Submitted by Tidelines Editor

Main Road Construction

Main Road will be undergoing construction over the next two weeks.  Lane closures can be expected each night from 9:00 pm. to 6:00 a.m. starting tomorrow (Sunday) night between US 17 and the Limehouse bridge.  Details are in the attached communication from the Chas Cty Department of Transportation.

Submitted by Tidelines Staff

Main Road Construction

Yet more back-ups on Main Road…

Catherine Scully reported that her husband on his way to Columbia found that Main Road, right before the Habitat for Humanity office which is before Edenvale Road, has construction.

The lanes are being alternated and there is about a 15 – 20 minute delay going out because they are letting more cars come onto the islands (due to heavy morning traffic coming in.)

-Submitted by Tidelines Editor