September 02, 2019

Hurricane Dorian Update #5

Today the Town participated in a conference call with Charleston County Emergency Management Department and regional counterparts to discuss Hurricane Dorian. Lane reversals of I-26 from Charleston to Columbia have begun. All exits along I-26 from Charleston to Columbia are blocked.

The official report from the National Weather Service is that Dorian’s track is becoming more consistent with the models that show a turn northward. It will likely be this evening before they can cultivate a more direct path but have advised that the impacts could be similar to Hurricane Matthew.

Beginning Wednesday, our area is expected to have significant impacts, including heavy flooding, heavy rainfall, tropical-storm-force-winds, and significant storm surge. The most significant concern is the storm surge combined with high tide. There will be strong rip currents and high surf. As always with severe weather, power outages could occur.

Restricted access to the island will begin Wednesday at 6 a.m. (subject to change), at which time island access will be turned over to Charleston County Sheriff’s Office. Contractors will be permitted on island to assist homeowners with hurricane preparation until 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Residents should be securing their property and making their evacuation plans. If you do not evacuate, please be aware, critical public safety services including Fire and EMS at a certain time would withdraw their equipment and personnel from the island. If conditions are severe, power and water systems could be shut down.

While there is an official evacuation route, it is possible deputies may use their discretion based on traffic flow. The Charleston Airport is currently open (weather dependent) but is inaccessible off of I-26 but is accessible via I-526.

Starting at Noon on Tuesday, September 3 Charleston County downtown garages at Cumberland and at King and Queen Street will be available for free parking to citizens who live in flood prone areas. The garages will be open until further notice.

Reentry Information:

Once the storm has passed the Governor has to first lift the evacuation order and then the Mayor has to announce island re-entry date and time. Reentry will not be permitted until after damage assessment is complete. Remember after Matthew reentry was not allowed for 48 hours. Residents should plan on a similar situation if conditions are similar to Matthew.

You can expect the next update tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. If there is breaking news, we will release that information before our scheduled communication.

Island Update:

• The Station will be open today until 6 p.m. Residents will still have access to gas pumps with credit card access as long as there is power.
• All Town meetings scheduled for this week have been canceled and Town offices will be closed until further notice.
• Beginning Tuesday at 7 p.m., the Community Association will close the island for commercial access.
• Trash collection is suspended until further notice. Please make sure your cans are pulled in and secure
• The Sandcastle is closed until further notice. All regularly scheduled classes and meetings are canceled.
•  For information on Freshfields Village tenant hours/closures click here
• KIGR closes at noon today, with the exception of Town Center Market and Cougar Point’s Players Pub which will be open until 9 p.m. tonight.
• Ponds and lakes are at max drainage in anticipation of heavy rain and potential flooding.

Other Information:

• Charleston County has activated the Citizen Information Line at 843-746-3900.
• If you have special needs regarding medical assistance, contact the Disabilities Resource Center at (843) 225-5080.
• All schools and state government offices in Charleston County will be closed until further notice.

Official Evacuation Route:

• Evacuation Zones Kiawah/Seabrook Island is in ZONE A
• Evacuation Route: Bohicket/Main Rd. to US 17. US 17 south to SC 64 where you will go to Walterboro, then to North Augusta

Helpful Links

• National Weather Service 
• South Carolina Emergency Management Division
• SCDOT live road conditions
• Kiawah Island Community Association
• Live 5 News 
• ABC News 4
• Post and Courier

Sign up for the Town’s emergency notification system CodeRED here.CodeRED is used to communicate to residents to a designated phone number in emergency situations. CodeRED is reserved for short evacuation related messages sent with only pertinent information.