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.

Tropical Storm Fay strikes again!

All week, I’ve planned on attending a birthday soirée downtown. But, Fay had other plans for me. I had it all planned out. I got an old ratty umbrella to get me from the parking garage to the bar. You know, the kind of umbrella that I wouldn’t miss when someone steals it from the entrance because they forgot their’s at home. I would just sprint to my car and get a little wet when the bar closed.

I get all dressed up and ready for the night. I open the door and I’m met with that mist from rain caught in the wind. No problem. I pop open my umbrella and wade through the river that sometimes doubles as the parking lot of my apartment complex.

Everything goes as planned until I hit Highway 61 and notice that the whole area has turned into one large swimming hole. Not Downtown Charleston’s knee-deep flood waters, but bad enough for me to take notice. I round the bend to see a sea of emergency flashers ahead of me – people driving 2 miles an hour.

Then the sky opened up. It’s like Fay was waiting for me to get just far enough to make it difficult to turn around. There I am… not able to see three feet ahead of me. If my area is flooded, downtown will easily look like a set from Waterworld. It looks like it’s going to be a Friday night at home… thanks Fay.

We are just in the outer bands, but it’s just enough to be pretty damn annoying. As I type this, there is a waterfall outside my bedroom window. It’s like a watery serenade from the warmth under this roof, but it’s pretty nasty out there.

Our beaches are taking a pounding this week and so is the sea life -- a beached whale and dead sea turtle hatchlings. Fay isn’t playing around.

Tropical Storm Fay

The outer bands of Tropical Storm Fay have been dumping inches of ran on us for the past few days. This will sound strange, but there is something rather calming about tropical weather.

Hours before the big storm, when those outer bands first head into your area, the sky is filled large sudsy-looking clouds. It looks a lot like what a bar of soap does in a microwave. You can still see the crystal blue sky behind those monsters and it serves as a picturesque contrast of nature.

The closer the storm gets, the winds starts to pick up. The whole day turns gray – everything. Even the air itself feels heavy with gray. That first wind is calming and cooling in the summer day. It is in fact that proverbial calm before storm. As trite as it seems… it’s the truth.

Not to romanticize these killers; I’ve lived and worked through many – Katrina being one. That storm changed my life and I have an earned respect for tropical weather. Maybe that’s why I’m able to now also see the beauty in it.

I interviewed a couple in Panama Beach City during Hurricane Dennis. They went into a long discourse about Mother Nature being a cruel mistress. They said the rise and fall of the water during a hurricane was amazing to witness, even though deadly. A little like white arsenic in wedding cake.

Later that same year, after Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita was coming our way and I first noticed the pre-storm breeze. I guess it was my first time seeing Mother Nature for the cruel mistress she really is – a deadly splendor.

There is just something majestic about these marvels of nature. Some people see the awe in tornados, rainbows or sunsets. For me, it’s those hours before tropical weather. It’s almost like a small gift as we prepare for the destruction and force that follows those peaceful moments.

Thankfully Fay is just a rainmaker for us with some flooding. Here are some of the effects in our area.

From our Meteorologist Joey Sovine:

From a viewer: