State officials plan emergency needs telephone survey for coastal residents

Coastal residents in Horry and Georgetown Counties may be getting a phone call from state officials for a survey about their emergency evacuation needs, officials said Thursday.

The telephone survey begins Monday and officials ask that if residents are called that they participate, said Jackie Broach, Georgetown County’s spokeswoman.

The survey is being conducted by the South Carolina Emergency Management Division and they have partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to determine the needs of coastal residents, said Derrec Becker, spokesman for the state emergency management division.

In addition to Grand Strand residents, those living in Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, Colleton, Beaufort, Hampton and Jasper counties will be called, officials said.

“This survey will assist the state’s disaster preparedness planners by identifying areas where additional effort is necessary to successfully and safely evacuate people in need of assistance,” Becker said in a release about the survey issued Thursday.

Some information officials will ask residents about will include their need for transportation during a hurricane evacuation or if they require special assistance; where those residents live in relation to established evacuation routes; and the type of transportation assistance required for emergency evacuation, such as ambulances or vehicles that accommodate wheelchairs.

This story was originally published August 20, 2015 at 11:28 AM with the headline "State officials plan emergency needs telephone survey for coastal residents."