 |
Just when local emergency officials thought they were in the clear, clouds rolled in Friday as Tropical Storm Hanna shifted slightly to the west.
The move prompted officials to open Orangeburg County shelters for those in manufactured homes, campers or other vulnerable structures.
The Greater Edisto Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Department of Social Services and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control opened three shelters – Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School, Bethune-Bowman High School and Lake Marion High School near Santee – Friday evening in anticipation of tropical storm force winds overnight.
The shelter at Bowman was closed by 11 p.m. Friday and the shelter at O-W was closed by 1 a.m. Saturday, "due to the absence of any evacuees and the significant change in the wind fields forecast," according to statements from the Orangeburg County Emergency Operations Center.
As of 1 a.m. Saturday, the shelter at Lake Marion High remained open, the OCEOC said.
Winds were forecast to be between 25 and 35 mph with higher gusts in the eastern half of Orangeburg County. The towns of Santee, Holly Hill and Eutawville were among the locales expected to receive the heaviest impact. Winds in the western portion of the county were forecast to be between 20 and 30 mph.
Through early Friday evening, wind gusts recorded at the Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities, Orangeburg’s official weather recording station, were 23 mph.
Winds were expected to increase around 6 or 7 p.m. Friday with the height of the storm rolling through the county between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Rainfall totals in western Orangeburg County were forecast to range from 1 inch to 2 inches and between 2 inches and 4 inches on the eastern end of the county.
The Columbia National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for Orangeburg and Calhoun counties through 8 a.m. Saturday. A wind advisory means winds of 35 mph are expected.
Orangeburg, Calhoun and Bamberg counties were all under a tornado watch expiring at 5 a.m. Saturday. A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for tornadic activity.
In anticipation of possible storm-related damage or incidences, the Orangeburg County Emergency Operations Center and the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety also activated a command center Friday evening to monitor the storm.
At 5 p.m. Friday, Tropical Storm Hanna was packing maximum sustained winds of about 70 mph and moving north at 20 mph.
Landfall was forecast to occur near Myrtle Beach early Saturday.
The Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities was operating in Condition 1, the lowest level of alertness.
The utility ensured its electric department was fully staffed in the event of power outages.
“We are not anticipating much of a problem, but we’d rather be safe than sorry,” DPU spokesman Randy Etters said.
Santee Cooper, which primarily serves electric customers in coastal counties but also in Santee, moved to its highest alert status, Condition 4, Friday afternoon and finalized preparations to get employees safely through the storm and moving quickly through any necessary recovery actions.
Santee Cooper’s storm plan includes mobilizing employees to handle increased customer calls, to quickly evaluate storm damage, to coordinate line crew and equipment mobilization and to coordinate materials required for repairs.
Calhoun County Emergency Services Director Bill Minikiewicz said the county looked like it was in the clear Thursday afternoon when it was informed by state emergency officials of the change.
“We have not really changed the plan, and we do anticipate a little more wind and rain than yesterday (Thursday),” Minikiewicz said. “We have a little less reliability on where it is going to hit.”
Minikiewicz said additional Calhoun County emergency personnel would be on duty throughout the night and everyone would be on alert. “We don’t expect anything but some rain and maybe tree damage.”
Unlike in Orangeburg County, Minikiewicz said there were no plans to open shelters.
Bamberg County emergency officials did not plan to open shelters, either.
County emergency personnel were in a wait-and-see mode as to the storm’s track and were ready to respond if needed, said Sharon Hammond, emergency services director.
As a result of the storm, Safe Kids Super Saturday, which was to be held at the Orangeburg County Fairgrounds, was canceled. The event will continue next fall.
Elsewhere, there were voluntary evacuations in Horry, Georgetown and Charleston counties.
Shelters were opened in Dorchester, Williamsburg, Charleston and Horry counties.
While Hanna was on the minds of many, eyes were also keeping a close watch on strong Category 3 Hurricane Ike.
Ike on Friday afternoon had sustained winds of 120 mph with a westward movement of 16 mph.
Ike was still well out in the Atlantic but was expected to be near the U.S. mainland by Wednesday.
T&D Staff Writer Gene Zaleski can be reached by e-mail at gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5551.