Friday, October 7, 2016

Emergencies Declared, Curfews Issued in Carolinas: ‘Now Is the Time We Ask for Prayer’

Ada Carr
Published: October 7,2016
As the Carolinas prepare for a severe blow from Hurricane Matthew, state officials continued to use stronger messaging to warn residents of the dangers in the coming days.
"Now is the time we ask for prayer," South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said Friday evening.
As of Friday, President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency in both states.
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory expanded a state of emergency to include all 100 counties in the Tar Heel State Thursday evening. The initial declaration included 66 counties in eastern and central North Carolina.
(MORE: Track Hurricane Matthew)

South Carolina

During a midday news conference Friday, Haley said that an estimated 355,000 people have fled from coastal areas and that time was running out to leave.
"There is nothing safe about what is getting ready to happen," she warned.
About 50,000 electric customers are without power, the Associated Press reports. Around 36,000 of those outages are in Charleston and Beaufort counties.
The South Carolina Emergency Management Division reports that there are almost 70 shelters open across the state with more than 4,200 people being sheltered. Officials say there are 17 shelters on standby ready to open if other shelters fill up.
Charleston, North Charleston and Mount Pleasant have announced they will be imposing curfews from midnight Friday through 6 a.m. Saturday. Officials say they don't want people driving or walking around while law officers and emergency workers are dealing with storm-related issues.
Beaufort County will have a curfew from dusk Friday through dawn Saturday.
A tornado watch was also issued for seven counties, including Beaufort County and surrounding areas. Forecasters warned that tornadoes could quickly spin up in the bands of the storm.
Major tourists attractions are also being shut down ahead of Matthew.
Friday officials with the Carowinds theme park on the South Carolina-North Carolina state line said it would not be holding its SCarowinds nighttime Halloween event due to the storm.
In Columbia, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden said it would be closed Saturday.
(MORE: Hurricane Matthew: What We Know)
Beaufort Memorial Hospital announced Thursday evening that it was evacuating patients and closing its emergency room as the South Carolina coast prepared for Matthew's arrival, according to WJCL.com. The hospital was likely to lose power during the storm, state officials said.
"We’ve been through winter storms and a 1,000-year flood, so I don't want anybody to look at any of the last few tragedies that we have gone through and think this is similar. A hurricane is different," Haley said during a press conference held Thursday.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Tri-County area opened shelters for evacuees with no safe place to go. The South Carolina Department of Transportation also laid plans to send buses from the Upstate to pick people up from the North Charleston Coliseum and transport them to overflow shelters elsewhere in the state, according to the Post and Courier. Buses will also be used to transport evacuees from designated hurricane evacuation bus stops to shelters.
Haley's evacuation order will also close all schools and government offices in the counties that'll be cleared out before Matthew arrives.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation changed the direction of traffic lanes to accommodate the high volume of vehicles leaving coastal cities. Lane reversals went into effect Wednesday afternoon, and during a press conference on Thursday morning, Haley said they "ran beautifully."
SCDOT @SCDOTPress
Traffic near the lane reversal crossover on I-26 and I-77 in Columbia this morning (SCDOT photo)

At least a half-dozen gas stations were reportedly out of fuel, and the state's attorney general warned stations against price gouging. Myrtle Beach resident Michaela Choate, 22, told NBC News she "couldn't even get near a gas station" on Tuesday. "It was so packed. You couldn't get into the parking lot," she said.
The Mount Pleasant Police Department asked residents to avoid calling 911 over gas shortages, tweeting, "Remember to be patient with one another."
Charleston Southern University, the College of Charleston, Coastal Carolina University and the University of South Carolina will be closed for the rest of the week, the AP also reported. South Carolina State said a college football game against Bethune-Cookman, originally scheduled for Saturday, has been postponed.
The University of South Carolina and the University of Georgia were scheduled to play Saturday in Columbia, but that game was postponed to Sunday at 2:30 p.m. EDT.
(MORE: The Latest Caribbean Impacts from Matthew)

North Carolina

Friday President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Matthew. The declaration puts the Homeland Security Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in charge of disaster relief efforts in the state.
Residents in Southport began pulling fishing boats and kayaks away from piers at the mouth of Cape Fear River Friday. Schools and local businesses also began closing early, as well as the state ferry dock.
Hyde County officials suspended the mandatory evacuation order issued for Ocracoke Island for residents and non-resident property owners Wednesday. Residents and property owners, vendors and critical infrastructure providers will be permitted to travel to and from the island until ferry service is suspended on Friday.
A mandatory evacuation of island visitors, however, began on 5 a.m. Wednesday as scheduled, according to WTKR. Even though the track of Hurricane Matthew has changed, officials say visitor evacuation orders are still necessary.
"My goal is to be overprepared and underwhelmed," Gov. McCrory said at a news conference Wednesday. Although he said the "impact for North Carolina is much, much less," he urged residents to keep their guard up as "models can change at a moment's notice."
Earlier, McCrory urged residents and visitors to be prepared for heavy rain, flooding, and the possibility of hurricane-force winds when Matthew passes through the state over the weekend.
McCrory said at a briefing Wednesday that North Carolina will be offering resources to South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, as Matthew appears poised to hit the Carolinas' coasts this weekend.
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