Here’s how Myrtle Beach area, state leaders are preparing for Hurricane Dorian impacts

As Hurricane Dorian slammed through the Bahamas on Sunday, officials here were preparing for what could be coming our way by midweek.

Horry and Georgetown counties and local municipalities in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Conway all moved their emergency operations into what’s known as OPCON 2, meaning the departments are in a “heightened state of awareness.” Later Sunday, Horry County Council declared a state of emergency in preparation for the Category 5 storm, which on Sunday had maximum sustained winds of up to 185 mph.

S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster held an afternoon press conference at the South Carolina Emergency Operations Center in Columbia along with state officials, referring to the storm as “quite a hurricane” while informing the public he had spoken with President Donald Trump about getting federal resources.

“I asked the president for a federal emergency declaration that will allow for direct federal resources to be accessed by team South Carolina to assist in hurricane prep efforts,” McMaster said of the support he expects to receive.

The governor stopped short of ordering evacuations, saying “it’s too early,” but later Sunday announced plans for another briefing at 6:30 p.m. He announced a state of emergency Saturday.

Locally, Coastal Carolina University and Horry Georgetown Technical College both canceled on-campus classes indefinitely beginning Tuesday.

“In an abundance of caution, CCU will cancel on-campus classes and will initiate the academic continuity plan, starting Tuesday, Sept. 3. The University will provide ample notice before on-campus classes are resumed,” a message on the university’s website said Sunday. HGTC put out a similar alert later in the day.

Horry and Georgetown county schools, meanwhile, had yet to make a decision on the status of classes as of Sunday evening, stating that they were planning to monitor directives from the governor before making plans.

In Myrtle Beach, some precautions have already been put in place.

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. The department said it would monitor conditions daily and provide further updates.

Myrtle Beach International Airport remained 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 said.

While the local emergency operations center hadn’t been activated as of Sunday morning, agencies began putting 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 that reached as high as 185 mph. As of the 5 p.m. briefing, Dorian was still expected to skim Florida — whose east coast was put under hurricane warnings — hugging the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina and possibly never making landfall. Still, the Carolinas were forecast to feel effects of the storm in some time period between Wednesday and Friday.

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

The State’s Noah Feit contributed to this report.