Charleston City Council and Charleston County Council held separate emergency meetings Tuesday in advance of Hurricane Idalia to issue emergency orders consistent with the state’s similar order. Doing so will also make the local governments eligible for federal disaster aid, if necessary. Officials said no evacuation orders are expected to be given, as the storm will likely downgrade from hurricane status before it arrives in the Lowcountry.
Hurricane Idalia, with sustained winds now at 120 miles per hour, made landfall around 8 a.m. today along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Forecasters are warning of life-threatening storm surges, dangerous winds and other storm-related conditions.
In South Carolina, Idalia is expected to bring tropical storm conditions and significant flooding to the eastern part of the state. S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster has declared a state of emergency ahead of Idalia’s arrival. The hurricane is forecast to have a limited impact in the Midlands and Upstate, while the Lowcountry braces for tropical storm conditions.
The storm is predicted to move over Charleston Wednesday night with 50 mph to 75 mph winds. Isolated tornadoes are also a risk along the coast.
Several locations in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties will have a limited supply of free sand and sandbags for residents to prepare their homes for flooding. Residents should bring their own shovels. Check online for a full schedule and list of locations. Sites are first-come, first-served.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Franklin is a Category 3 hurricane in the mid-Atlantic and could churn waters and cause rip currents along the East Coast this week.
Follow these links to read the City Paper’s emergency kit checklist and safety tips for hurricane preparedness and Charleston County’s 2023 Hurricane Guide.
In recent headlines:
Bid for Charleston’s Ashley River pedestrian bridge comes in at $74M. Originally estimated to cost $22 million in 2019, the proposed bridge connecting downtown to West Ashley is now expected to cost $73.8 million.
Charleston County Parks removes ‘no concealable weapons’ signs. “No concealable weapons allowed” signs have been removed from all Charleston County Parks after there has been back and forth from the public about their constitutionality.
Hot car death of disabled Lowcountry girl prompts murder trial. The first day of testimony got underway Aug. 29 in the murder trial of Cristina Pangalangan, a 13-year-old disabled girl whose mother and mother’s boyfriend left her in a vehicle in Colleton County for hours in the heat of summer.
S.C. abortion ban stands at 6 weeks after state Supreme Court refuses to rehear case. The state Supreme Court will not reconsider its ruling on South Carolina’s abortion ban, keeping it illegal at roughly six weeks into a pregnancy.
Santee Cooper fuel bills piling up amid utility rate freeze. In anticipation of billing customers later for unexpected costs, Santee Cooper approved a plan this week that will let it push off another $47 million in expenses until after a rate freeze ends next year.
- To get dozens of South Carolina news stories every business day, contact the folks at SC Clips.
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