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We must prepare for the next hurricane.
I live in the Charleston, SC, area. Today, the news announced that we need to begin preparing for the possibility of Hurricane Ophelia hitting us.
Here is the official announcement:
I live in the Charleston, SC, area. Today, the news announced that we need to begin preparing for the possibility of Hurricane Ophelia hitting us.
Here is the official announcement:
Charleston County News Release
Release Date: September 8, 2005
Charleston County Moves to Operating Condition 4 at 1:00 p.m. today to Monitor Tropical Storm Ophelia
Charleston County participated in a conference call at 11:30 a.m. today regarding Tropical Storm Ophelia. The call was initiated by the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD), and included representatives from several counties.
As a result of the information provided during this morning’s conference call, and as a precautionary measure, Charleston County moved into Operating Condition (Op Con) 4 at 1:00 p.m. today, and County officials are monitoring Ophelia closely.
“We know that phrases like ‘Op Con 4’ are unfamiliar to the public, so our goal is to explain exactly what this means,” said Cathy Haynes, Deputy Director of the Charleston County Emergency Preparedness Division. “The Op Con 4 level means that there is a possibility of an emergency or disaster situation, and it lets our employees who may be called into our Emergency Operations Center stay on alert and be ready to react.”
At Op Con 4, Charleston County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) personnel are required to be on alert as officials monitor the storm. The County’s EOC is located in the Lonnie Hamilton, III Public Services Building off Leeds Avenue in North Charleston. The purpose of the EOC is for Charleston County decision-makers to coordinate information and to implement the County’s Emergency Operations Plan during any type of disaster. This plan is reviewed and updated every January to ensure proper readiness and response procedures.
Once it is activated, the EOC is directed by County Administrator, Roland Windham, and is staffed by personnel from a variety of departments. If a storm increases in severity, other outside agencies will send representatives to the EOC as well so that information can be coordinated and shared among first responders from a single location. Some of these agencies/representatives include:
- Local law enforcement personnel
- Military personnel
- American Red Cross
- Department of Social Services
- Transportation services
- Public works and engineering services
- Hazardous Materials staff
- Telecommunications and power companies
- Coroner
- Damage assessment teams
- Special medical needs services
Citizens who live in coastal and flood-prone areas of South Carolina should pay close attention to Tropical Storm Ophelia. “The storm is currently unpredictable, which is why we are watching it closely,” Haynes said. “We need to be ready to react quickly, so we are all on alert.”
The public is encouraged to monitor their local news and media and to be prepared in case Tropical Storm Ophelia moves toward the state’s coastline. According to the SCEMD, if the storm approaches South Carolina, it could bring heavy rain, damaging winds, tornadoes, and localized flooding.
Charleston County officials will stay in close communication with state agencies and other counties and organizations. The State Emergency Operations Center is already on limited activation due to hurricane Katrina, and additional personnel will be placed on call if they are needed to staff the Center at a full-scale level.
The Operating Condition (Op Con) levels of readiness run from five to one in level of severity, with one being the most severe. This is opposite of how hurricane severity levels run, from one to five, with five being the most severe.
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The following is an explanation of each Op Con level, and Charleston County is at Op Con 4 as of 1:00 p.m. today:
5: Day-to-day operations to include normal training and exercises.
4: Possibility of an emergency or disaster situation that may require a partial or full activation of the Charleston County Emergency Operations Center.
3: Disaster or emergency situation likely or imminent. Full or partial activation of the Charleston County Emergency Operations Center; activate Charleston County Emergency Operations Plan.
2: Disaster or emergency situation in effect; maximum preparedness level; full activation of the Charleston County Emergency Operations Center.
1: Disaster or emergency situation in effect; full-fledged emergency response operations on-going; highest state of emergency operations.
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“We are now at the height of hurricane season, and for those who have not done so already, now is the time to gather supplies and review family emergency plans in order to be prepared,” Haynes said.
Information on family emergency planning is available on the SCEMD Web site at www.scemd.org.
http://www.charlestoncounty.org/index2.asp?p=/News/2607.htm