Sanford discusses hurricane preparedness

Sanford stresses the importance of having an evacuation plan set long before a storm hits the coast.

By: Rebekah Carter | SCNow
Published: June 11, 2008

Hurricane season is in full swing and experts think there’s a greater chance of South Carolina being hit this year than before.

That’s why Gov. Mark Sanford and other emergency officials from across the state are already planning for the worst-case-scenario.

To prepare for a potential hurricane or tropical storm, they have set up 239 emergency shelters across the state. They have also been reviewing the state’s evacuation routes. One in Horry County consists of Highways 501 and 22 merging together. This requires all four lanes of 501 going in one direction towards Marion.

Sanford says a big concern this year is gas prices.

“There are a lot of people in South Carolina driving around with a-quarter tank of gas that used to travel on three-quarters a tank of gas. If people are waiting until a storm comes to fill up, that could really cause a backup at filling stations on the coast,” he says.

That’s also why they are implementing the new “Evacuation and Post-Storm Refueling Plan” for gas stations on evacuation routes this year. This requires gas stations on those routes to have enough fuel on hand for an emergency.

Officials have been doing other things to be ready for a hurricane, such as setting up a new state-wide emergency warehouse. It’s stocked with ready-to-eat meals, water, and emergency items for about 150,000 people.

But Sanford says even that’s not enough for a big catastrophe.

“The best-laid-plan will still have one Murphy’s Law at work, and that’s why I keep going back to this notion of personal preparation,” Sanford says.

He strongly encourages everyone to have a set evacuation plan in order long before a storm comes.

Some tips for getting you or your family out of a storm area is to leave early when an evacuation is recommended. Officials say by leaving when they first issue it, commute time can be cut in half.

They also suggest carpooling with family and neighbors. The fewer cars on the road, the less congested evacuation routes will be during an emergency. Also, don’t forget necessary items while traveling, such as food, water, and medicine.