Fuel Frenzy

Yes, that’s a real picture from Wedgefield, South Carolina. A viewer snapped it. With so many photoshop geniuses, with too much time on their hands, I thought for sure this was a hoax. One of our producers called the gas station this morning and confirmed it.

Yesterday, we found ourselves in the midst of a full-scale gas-buying frenzy. A rumor started circulating early yesterday afternoon that gas would skyrocket by 5:00 to $5.00 a gallon. It was a whole 5 at 5 type thing. The basis for the rumor: Hurricane Ike would devastate oil rigs and the prices had to go up.

People lost their minds around here. This is a picture that I snapped in Summerville at a normally slow gas station. The station attendant came out and talked to me. He was amazed at the business they were getting as drivers rushed to area gas stations trying to beat the rumored price jump. He wanted to know if the rumors were true. According to AAA they are completely unfounded.

You would think it was the end of civilization or a hurricane was barreling straight for Charleston. We didn’t have a gas-run like this last week when we thought Hanna was going to hit us head-on. I hadn’t seen anything like this since I was in Louisiana before Hurricane Rita in 2006.

Some gas stations apparently ran out of gas as folks flocked to the pumps. There were even reports of fistfights as tempers ran high and fuel ran low.

And yes, I admit, I gave in to the hype myself. I always operate on that old adage -- “better safe than sorry.” We know that the price of gas isn’t going to drop, so why not get gas – just in case. I went to my favorite secret cheap gas station and got a few gallons. I guess no one is immune to rumors and mass hysteria.

Hanna: 2:30 Press Conference Information

Ready for your update from the 2:30 mayors presser conference? Well, here we go.

Yesterday’s message was about being prepared. Today is a story of remaining vigilant and not becoming complacent. We will not take a direct hit from Hanna, but heavy rain and wind could get nasty and possibly dangerous.

Mayor Joe Riley talked about the threat of Ike; saying the preps you make this week for Hanna could save time next week if we face Ike.

In North Charleston, trash pick up will happen tomorrow morning to lessen the chance of items becoming projectiles in high wind.

Folly Beach’s mayor Carl Beckmann had a message of caution for his citizens. He said he was worried about the storm surge, if even minimal. He reminds that there is a causeway connecting Folly Beach to the mainland and two to three feet of water can make last minute evacuations extremely difficult.

Dan Davis with Berkeley County stopped by for the press conference. He says their EOC is on OPCON 3 and expect to remain there.

There is another press conference scheduled for 6:30. We are expecting to find out more answers about the possibility of a voluntary evacuation in Charleston County.

Here’s a little factoid for you… Charleston County is the longest county on the Atlantic Coast.

Hanna: EOC Morning Update

We’ve spent the last hour or so setting up for a long day of press conferences and live shots. While our photographer, Sydney, finishes setting things up and testing audio, I’ll give you an update on some storm information.

It’s going to be a busy day and here’s what you can expect.

The Charleston County Emergency Operations Center has moved to EPCON 2 this morning. The staff here is at maximum preparedness level. There will be a 12:30 press conference and we will know more about the plan for the Lowcountry then. I’ll update the blog after that meeting.

Governor Mark Sanford is also holding a live press conference at Noon where he will announce a voluntary evacuation for the northern parts of the state.

The mayors of Charleston County will hold a 2:30 press conference today also. This is when we will most likely find out if there is a voluntary evacuation for the Lowcountry. Isle of Palms mayor, Mike Sotille, is the one I’m most interested in hearing from. He hinted at a voluntary evac for the barrier islands yesterday.

More in about an hour.

Juggling Hurricanes

It’s been a long day. I had a few computer issues today, thus the lack of update. Everything is taken care of now and I will be back on a regular posting schedule tomorrow.

I spent the day at the Charleston County Emergency Operations Center and that’s where I will reside for the next day or so while Hanna does its thing. There was a lot of down time today as the projected point of impact continually moved. The closer we get to Friday’s landfall, the busier we will get there.

Most of my down time was spent on the phone with Central Louisiana. Gustav has been stalled there for the last two days; dumping an ungodly amount of rain. They experienced what many are calling the worst flooding in the history of the region. We’re talking the Louisiana National Guard taking people from their flooded homes. That never happens to us. My parents are on day three of having no electricity.

I spent the day getting reports from home and juggling what’s going on around here. I have a job to do, so home had to take a back seat during press conferences and live shots. I must admit, it made me extremely irritable and short tempered – even more than usual.

My Mom and one of my best friends called and texted most of the day. Though I was worried, it did connect me to them while all that was going on.

Sorry it took me so long to update the blog today, but I needed a break. I came home, grabbed a quick bite to eat (low carb of course) and watched the two hours Top Model season premiere. Tyra, Jay and I forgot all about hurricanes for a little while. I needed that little vacation and now I’m back. Game on!

I will post updates from the EOC to the blog all day tomorrow. We will know more about a possible voluntary evacuation then. I don’t know that it will come to that, but the city leaders and officials keep bringing it up. I’m set up with a lap top, so I can instantly blog all the latest information.

My biggest challenge this week: Saying “E-O-C” during my live shots. It’s called the “O-E-P” in Rapides Parish, Louisiana and I’ve said that for years. Watch closely and you will actually see me think about it before every mention.

Shopping Before Hanna

I snapped this picture tonight when I was out buying a few odds and ends to deal with Hurricane Hanna. You know, the usual: bottles of water, beef jerky and such.

I went to a few stores to get the best deals. Not just because I do a lot of economic stories, but because I’m cheap. The hottest items seem to be bottled water, batteries, flash lights and radios.

Here in West Ashley, Wal-Mart’s bottled water shelves are becoming bare. I watched a stock guy bring out a brand new pallet of water from the back and a flock of people pounce on it.

I spoke with several shoppers who say they are preparing to ride out the storm and they wanted to get supplies before the stores sold out. One woman said she came in just to purchase water for herself, but decided to buy extra for her neighbors when she saw the emptying shelves. The canned goods aren’t moving all that fast.

As I was getting some toiletries for a long next-few-days of work, I noticed that the line at the pharmacy was way longer than usual. I heard people saying they wanted to fill their prescription before the storm or an evacuation order.

The Lowcountry Red Cross reminds that an important item that many people forget when shopping is a manual can opener. All those canned goods are useless without a manual can opener.

I am currently trying to cook up a lot of chicken breasts and cut up some cucumbers. All of my low barb foods will spoil if we lose electricity. I just did my weekly grocery shopping Sunday and I'm fully stocked with food that I've got to cook now. :sigh:

Mayor Riley Talks Evacuations

Even though there have been no declarations of evacuation for the Lowcountry, that’s exactly what Charleston Mayor Joe Riley talked about in his afternoon press conference.

He made a point to encourage citizens to prepare individually for the storm. He talked about families getting previsions together tonight in case of an evacuation.

Mayor Riley said to leave the city if there is a voluntary evacuation and not to wait for a mandatory evacuation. He warned that traffic flow during a mandatory evacuation could force residents into a part of the state they did not intend to visit. In a mandatory evacuation – you go in the direction the state police send you – not where you want to go.

Riley went so far as to suggest visiting a friend out of town right now to avoid the traffic of a possible evacuation. He seems to be very proactive and trying to avoid a cluster in the days to come if there is a mandatory evacuation.

After a question from a reporter, he recounted his experiences during Hurricane Hugo. He said that he’s never spoken to someone who stayed in Charleston during Hugo who did not regret it.

Pretty interesting press conference this early in the progression of the storm.

There is no evacuation right now and we seem to be quite a way from that actually. Mayor Riley simply stressed – “Be prepared.”

Hanna: Lowcountry Updates

Here are a few quick updates. The Charleston County Emergency Operations Center just held their first media conference for Tropical Storm / Hurricane Hanna.

Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley counties will move into OPCON 3 at 3:00 this afternoon. According to media contact Jennie Davis' press release, “The OPCON 3 level means that an emergency situation is likely or imminent.”

EOC personnel will go home to their families tonight to ready their property and families for Hanna. Then tomorrow they will begin 24 hour operations. We will carry their Noon media conference tomorrow afternoon on News 2.

The City of Charleston just called a press conference at city hall. It starts at 3:30. I will let you know what Mayor Joe Riley has to say once it is over.

We are also told that Lowcountry mayors will meet tomorrow morning for a briefing and to discuss needs and concerns for their particular cities.

I spoke with Lowcountry Red Cross Executive Director Louise Welch. They have "relief kits" and cots ready for use if shelters are needed in the Lowcountry.

Check out our website. We have an excellent link for resources and phone numbers .

Charleston County also has a useful web section. You can even print your own Hurricane Guide from home.

New Information On Hurricane Hanna

I know… I know. I said that I would start focusing on Hanna Wednesday, but as the information comes in, it looks like it’s time to start zeroing in on this storm too.

Our Chief Meteorologist, Rob Fowler, just e-mailed us some of the latest information on Hurricane Hanna. I thought I would quickly pass it on to the Lowcountry readers.

This first forecast indicates that it could possibly be stronger than first expected. Rob says that it could make landfall as a Category 2 system near Savannah, Georgia. It looks like Hanna will come ashore at around 2:00 PM Friday afternoon. But things could start getting wet and windy as early as Thursday night.

If you are like me, you want hard data and numbers. Rob estimates winds of 98 mph and gusts up to 120 mph. Keep in mind this is all preliminary information at this point.

As we get more reports… I will pass them along.

Oh yeah… there is another storm, that will likely become Ike, forming out there. Buckle your rain coats. It could be a long hurricane season.

Hello Hanna

When it rains…

As you can tell by my blogs, I’ve immersed myself in Hurricane Gustav for the last few days. While I was watching Gustav, Hanna snuck up behind me.

Our meteorologist, Joey Sovine, started off our morning meeting with the news. Hanna is possibly headed to the Lowcountry and could make landfall as a Cat 1 or 2 storm. Isn’t that peachy?

When I lived in Louisiana, I always packed a hurricane work kit on the first day of hurricane season. I’ve gotten a little lazy since moving here to Charleston. I have no previsions set aside yet. We always do stories telling people to make sure they have survival kits and I’m willing to bet that 90% of us in the newsroom don’t have one.

I told our morning show anchor that I’ll shift my focus from Gustav to Hanna Wednesday. Until then, I’ve got to see what happens with Gustav. Especially when it slows down and parks over Central and Western Louisiana later tonight for about 12 hours. That’s where the parents are and that’s a lot of rain and wind. I’m very worried about tornadoes.

We’ll start our Hanna coverage tonight and get deeper into it as we move closer to a possible Friday landfall.

Here’s a look at the current projected path of Hanna. It puts Charleston right there in the mix.

My First Time With Joe Biden

I first met Sen. Obama’s second-in-command while he was in town for the Presidential Debate at The Citadel. He met with a group of reporters at Brittlebank Park in Downtown Charleston to give a big pat on the back to Force Protection and Protected Vehicles.

Honestly, I rushed through this appearance. I didn’t know much about Sen. Biden and I was in a hurry to try to get on the other side of town to get John Edwards playing with his sons in the fountain. Edwards, a former VP candidate and Carolina native, had more star power and that's what my viewers wanted at the time.

I don't rememeber much about the Biden visit. I do remember that he was serious and knowledgeable about what was needed to keep the troops safe. He seemed dedicated and studied. I know that’s not much, but that is exactly the shot in the arm that the Obama camp needs. He brings a foreign policies understanding that adds a good deal of credence to the ticket.

I just wish I would have spent more time with Sen. Biden and less time chasing the Edwards kids playing football in a fountain. Hindsight! :sigh:

Here is Sen. Biden in Charleston:

Top Photo from Charleston Regional Business Journal