Governor Sanford Issues Voluntary Evacuation

Governor Mark Sanford just finished his Noon press conference.

He stressed the importance of operating on the side of caution. He said that he will not make decisions on suspicion or hunch.

Gov. Sanford called for a voluntary evacuation for Georgetown and Horry Counties.

The storm is expected to hit around high tide in Georgetown and those living in lower areas are encouraged to think about taking action.

70 Highway Patrolmen will be stationed at key spots on the evacuation route. Three shelters are active, but slimly staffed, one in Georgetown and two in Horry.

State offices will not close tomorrow.

We are getting ready for our 12:30 Press Conference with Charleston County EOC. More updates after that.

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.