City of Charleston Experiencing Impacts of Hurricane Ian, Residents Urged to Stay Home

The following is the city of Charleston’s “September 30th Hurricane Ian AM Update”:

City of Charleston Experiencing Impacts of Hurricane Ian, Residents Urged to Stay Home

The city of Charleston is now experiencing the early impacts of Hurricane Ian, with some roads already closed. Emergency Management officials recommend citizens stay at home or in a safe place throughout the storm. (Link to road closures below)

The city of Charleston remains in OPCON-1 as Hurricane Ian approaches South Carolina.

Strong winds are forecast for the area Friday morning. The Charleston Fire Department and Charleston Police Department remind residents to stay home and out of the weather. Citizens are advised that during periods of high winds and hazardous conditions, firefighter and police officer response time will be delayed.

“While we’re encouraged by the change in the track, we want folks to be aware that hazardous conditions are still very possible for our area,” Mayor John Tecklenburg said. “We want our citizens to stay in and stay safe throughout the storm.”

Currently projected impacts: Hurricane Ian will move onshore midday. Charleston residents can expect sustained tropical storm force winds (40 – 60 mph) with gusts as high as 70 mph as the storm moves onshore. Bands of rain will drop between three- and seven-inches of rain by mid-afternoon; local amounts could be higher. Heaviest amounts of rain are expected before 2 p.m. Flash flooding remains possible. High tide is expected at 11:45 a.m. and aligns with expected storm surge. A major tidal impact potential of 9-foot mean lower low water (MLLW) is possible. Expect tidal flooding and some inundation in known areas. Weather conditions should rapidly improve from afternoon though late evening.

24-hour citizen information line: The 24-hour citizen information line is now activated. Call 843-724-7311 with any questions or to report damage. For emergencies, please call 911. As of Thursday night, over 200 calls have been received.

Charleston Police Department Update: The Charleston Police Department is fully staffed and has deployed maximum resources throughout the city. The Police Department’s main priority is life-safety and protecting citizens and their property. Police Department command staff members continue to staff the Municipal Emergency Operations Center, in partnership with all other city operations.

Citizens are urged to avoid all unnecessary travel during the duration of today’s storm. Officers have positioned barricades in all low-lying areas and some roads have been closed due to flooding. Motorists are warned not to drive around barricades. The department has deployed high-profile vehicles to support patrol in flooded areas and will continue to be highly visible throughout the city.

Charleston Fire Department Update: The Fire Department has additional team members in place to assist with impacts from Hurricane Ian. The Fire Department has staffed four high water vehicles to assist with water rescues and two utility vehicles to clear small trees and debris to assist with response. Inflatable boats have been prepared in case the need arises. 

Stormwater and drainage: The Stormwater Department has temporary pumps in some low-lying areas. Stormwater and Public Service Department crews continue to clean ditches and drains in flood-prone areas. Citizens can visit the city’s Adopt-a-drain webpage (https://www.charleston-sc.gov/1984/Adopt-A-Drain) for information on ways they can help when it safe to do so.

Helpful links:

Road closures will be updated in real-time here: https://gis.charleston-sc.gov/road-closures-regional/

To report power outages, contact Dominion Energy here: https://dominionenergy.com/south-carolina/report-outage-or-emergency or Berkeley Electric Cooperative here: https://becsc.smarthub.coop/Login.html

Report damage in the city here: https://charleston-sc.gov/report-damage

Monitor the tide forecast in real time with the city-developed TIDEeye app. TIDEeye reports tide and weather data from multiple sources in real-time to aid in decision making. Data sources include the National Weather Service, NOAA, city-operated weather stations, Waze user reports and City reported road closures: https://gis.charleston-sc.gov/tideeye/.

The city’s Hurricane Information webpage can be accessed at https://www.charleston-sc.gov/974/Hurricane-Information. Updates on Hurricane Ian will be released and posted to the webpage as new information becomes available.

For the most accurate and up-to-date weather forecasts, residents should stay tuned to the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service Charleston websites, as well as local media and the FEMA app. Additional hurricane preparedness information can be found at www.scemd.org.

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