September 07, 2017

Hurricane Irma Update #3

Today the Town participated in a conference call with Charleston County Emergency Management Department and regional counterparts to discuss Hurricane Irma.

The report from that meeting was that an evacuation order is highly likely. The time frame to which that would be implemented is still uncertain but potentially as early as Saturday. The Governor’s office is holding a press conference at 2:00 p.m. today.

Hurricane Irma is an incredibly powerful Category 5 hurricane and all the forecast models indicate that it will turn to the north. Today at 3:00 p.m., the Town will follow Charleston County’s lead and move to OPCON 3.
Residents should prepare now for the possibility of evacuation to include:
-Making hotel reservations or plans to evacuate to a friend or relative
-Obtaining gasoline for automobiles and generators
-Securing personal property either by your own means or by calling property managers.
-Reviewing personal safety plans and evacuation routes
-If you have special needs regarding medical assistance, contact the Disabilities Resource Center at (843) 225-5080.

Island Update:
-Town offices will be closed tomorrow through Tuesday.
-Beginning tomorrow at 5:00 p.m., the Community Association will close the island for commercial access.
-Ponds and lakes are at max drainage in anticipation of heavy rain and potential flooding.
-Sandcastle is closed on Friday, Sept 8, until further notice. All regularly scheduled classes & meetings are canceled.
-All water will be turned off to boardwalks & fountains on Friday, Sept 8.

What to expect in an evacuation:
Concurrent with the evacuation order, 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.

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.

Please be aware there are already strong rip currents and high surf along the Atlantic Ocean. Please use caution.

While the situation is still fluid, the Town and Community Association are making preparations to respond in whatever capacity the event demands. We will continue to monitor Hurricane Irma and communicate necessary information to our residents.

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. You can expect updates via our website, email notifications or social media.
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