Here’s what to do if you need help during Tropical Storm Isaias. Horry offers guidance
While no evacuations have been ordered as Tropical Storm Isaias makes its way toward the South Carolina coast, Horry County officials are urging residents and visitors to take it seriously.
Randy Webster, the county’s assistance administrator for public safety, told reporters Monday afternoon at a press conference that the storm could turn into a hurricane before reaching the area, but impacts will likely be identical either way with some storm surge, flash flooding and wind damage.
The press conference, held at the M.L. Brown Public Safety Facility, felt different from recent hurricanes with a mostly empty emergency operations center and plexiglass panels set up between desks.
The center is set to open at 5 p.m., but Webster acknowledged there will still be fewer people there in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The phone bank for questions regarding the hurricane will be open at that time at 843-915-5000.
“Here we are with a hurricane in the midst of covid, which is one of the things we’ve dreaded most this year, but we’ve made the adjustments we need to make and are working forward to continue providing the services we need to provide,” he said.
Webster noted that power outages and road closures caused by the storm could last longer than normal this year due to COVID-19 precautions reducing staff availability.
As usual ahead of hurricanes, county officials let residents know that emergency responders will be limited in their ability to respond once winds reach 40 mph sustained, and unable to respond once winds sustain at 60 mph or above.
Renee Hardwick, county 911 director, reminded residents not to call 911 for power outages and to call their non-emergency line at 843-248-1520 for issues that don’t require an immediate response.
With no evacuation ordered, the county didn’t open any emergency shelters. For residents in low-lying areas prone to flooding, Webster suggested seeking shelter from friends or relatives Monday night, and the county will be able to open shelters with the Red Cross or address needs on an individual basis for longer term damages.
This story was originally published August 3, 2020 at 2:56 PM.
