Hurricane Dorian live updates: Here’s the latest on the storm, how officials are prepping

8 p.m.

Both Horry County Schools and Georgetown County Schools will be closed starting on Tuesday and will remained closed until further notice.

7:40 p.m.

Grand Strand medical centers and their emergency rooms are planning remain open since they are not located in Horry County’s Zone A, which was ordered to evacuate beginning at noon Monday.

7 p.m.

On Monday, trash services will operate on a completely normal schedule for zone 1 , City of Myrtle Beach Spokesperson Mark Kruea said in a news release. Solid waste collectors will also be taking recycling and yard waste on Monday. Zone 1 is mostly the area surrounding the Market Common and some areas along Highway 17 Business.

Then on Tuesday, zones 2 and 3 will only have their trash collected. There will be no recycling or yard waste collection. Zones 2 and 3 go from Coastal Grand Mall up to Coastal Grand Mall.

Finally, on Wednesday zone 4 will only have trash collection too. Zone 4 is the northern most limits of Myrtle Beach including Grand Dunes.

6:35 p.m.

S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster issued a mandatory evacuation for zones in several counties, including Zone A in both Horry and Georgetown, starting at noon Monday, and said schools in both counties — and others in the state — will be closed from Tuesday on until further notice.

Evacuation lane reversals have been put in place in some areas of South Carolina, but as of now none are in Horry or Georgetown counties.

6:25 p.m.

Surfside Beach Mayor Bob Childs declared a state of emergency for the town as Hurricane Dorian continues to near the East Coast.

“You are encouraged to prepare for this strong storm,” a news release stated.

5:15 p.m.

Horry County Council declared a state of emergency at 5 p.m. Sunday as Hurricane Dorian continues to near the East Coast, according to a news release.

The action means the county will “adopt emergency ordinances to meet public emergencies affecting life, health, safety or the property of the people in our area. The declaration will remain in effect for sixty (60) days unless sooner terminated by resolution by County Council.”

4:30 p.m.

North Myrtle Beach moved its emergency operations into what’s known as OPCON 2, meaning the department is “making preparations to respond to adverse weather conditions.” The city encourages citizens to make preparations for potential impacts.

3 p.m.

Horry Georgetown Technical College announced Sunday that it is canceling on-campus classes beginning Tuesday due to the threat of impacts from Hurricane Dorian.

“The College will provide ample notice before on-campus classes are resumed,” a news release says.

HGTC has asked its employees to report for usual working hours beginning Tuesday until further notice. The college urged students who left town for the Labor Day holiday to hold off on returning to the Grand Strand.

The school advised students to be on the lookout for emails from Vice President of Student Affairs Melissa Roberts-Batten concerning further updates.

2:10 p.m.

• S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster held a press conference, announcing he’s asked President Donald Trump for federal emergency resources, a request he believes will be granted soon. He has not issued an evacuation.
• The National Hurricane Center’s 2 p.m. update has Dorian moving west at 7 mph with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.

2 p.m.

Georgetown County moved its emergency operations into what’s known as OPCON 2, meaning the department indicated an “enhanced awareness.” The county encourages residents and visitors check the its website and social media (@GtCountySc and @GCEMD) accounts for updates.

1:10 p.m.

The Myrtle Beach Fire Department announced Sunday on Twitter the implementation of double red flag status — meaning no getting into the water — for the rest of the day due to the threat of Hurricane Dorian.

“This means that there is no swimming allowed in the ocean! Thank you for helping us keep your family and our crews safe!” the tweet says.

12:10 p.m.

• Coastal Carolina University announced Sunday that it is canceling on-campus classes beginning Tuesday due to the threat of impacts from Hurricane Dorian.
• The City of Myrtle Beach joined Conway and Horry County in moving emergency operations into what’s known as OPCON 2, meaning the departments are in a “heightened state of awareness.”

• Myrtle Beach International Airport remains open despite the potential threat of severe weather from Hurricane Dorian, according to a news release from the City of Myrtle Beach. “It is the individual airlines’ decision as to whether flights are delayed or canceled. All inquiries should be directed to the passenger’s individual airline, not the airport,” an email from the city says.

9 a.m.

As uncertainty mounts as to what impact Hurricane Dorian will have on the Grand Strand, Horry County and Conway have moved their emergency operations into what’s known as OPCON 2, meaning the departments are in a “heightened state of awareness.”

While the emergency operations center isn’t activated, the agencies are beginning to put their plans in place in the event Hurricane Dorian has a major impact locally.

Hurricane Dorian was declared a Category 5 hurricane Sunday morning, with record winds now at 180 mph. As of the 11 a.m. briefing, Dorian is still expected to skim Florida, hugging the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina and possibly never making landfall.

Below are some important reminders from Horry Emergency Management:

• Survey your property, clear storm drains and gutters of debris
• Make sure you have your family hurricane plans in place
• Prepare your hurricane kit to include items like water, batteries, flashlights, etc.
• Fuel up your vehicles and cans for generators
• Know your evacuation zone and where you’ll evacuate to in case of an evacuation order
• Monitor the weather forecast
• Make plans for your pets

This story was originally published September 1, 2019 at 10:16 AM.