State leadership says S.C. is prepared ahead of Hurricane Ian but asks residents to have a plan

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Governor Henry McMaster and the South Carolina Emergency Management Division said the state is ready for the storm, but residents need to be their own personal emergency managers.

Hurricane Ian was upgraded to a Category 3 Tuesday morning before making landfall in Cuba. The storm is expected to strengthen to a Category 4 by the time it reaches Florida.

Officials with the National Weather Service and SCEMD identified flooding, down trees, and isolated tornados as potential consequences of the storm.

They asked residents to stock up on supplies and have a plan in the event that staying at home is not an option.

S.C. Office of Regulatory Staff Director Nanette Edwards said the state has adequate fuel supplies, but residents should plan for power outages.

“If you are a medical needs customer, and you are reliant on power, we would recommend that you look at making some alternative arrangements,” she said.

DHEC Director Dr. Edward Simmer asked that those who own private dams be conscious of their condition, work with other private dam owners nearby on water levels, and alert DHEC in the event of issues (along with first responders if necessary).

WIS asked NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist John Quagliariello about potential impacts on infrastructure.

“Based on the current forecast now of tropical storm force winds, you typically wouldn’t get much damage to well-built structures. Certainly, with those kinds of wind speeds, you could see down trees and powerlines, outdoor loose objects blowing around,” he said.

McMaster said evacuation plans are in place if they are needed, but none have been activated.

“[The decision] will be made if necessary, we don’t know when that’s going to be.”

You can get information about the storm from WIS First Alert Weather team and SCEMD at the attached links.

Notice a spelling or grammar error in this article? Click or tap here to report it. Please include the article’s headline.

Copyright 2022 WIS. All rights reserved.