Prepare for the next hurricane

Reba

Reba

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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:

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
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Oh Gosh!! Don't you think we've had enough of that tyrane???? Its crazy, isn't it? Are ya gonna leave and stay at some place til its safe to come home?
 
Don't know yet. We are safe from flooding in our area but in very great danger from high winds because we have many large trees around our house. We will probably have a better idea about the situation after the weekend. The path of Ophelia is very uncertain right now.
 
You and your love ones will be in my thoughts and prayers...hoping that this hurricane doesn't do a round-about loop back towards your area but to veer eastwardly out in the vast ocean without causing any harm whatsoever....
 
im surfing Hurricane Ophelia tomorrow :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: like i said in a previous thread, i think im getting the flu, but thats not gonna stop me. i cant wait.
 
Roadrunner said:
You and your love ones will be in my thoughts and prayers...hoping that this hurricane doesn't do a round-about loop back towards your area but to veer eastwardly out in the vast ocean without causing any harm whatsoever....
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Thank you. I hope you are right. I have been thru this many times but I still dread it.

I also feel sorry for the many Katrina evacuees who have come here to Charleston seeking safety. Now they might have to face the stress of a hurricane again.

I don't like the way Ophelia is looping around in the ocean. That makes her unpredictable and increases the time to gain strength. Ugh!
 
Reba, since you know how to prepare for a hurricane, would you please explain to the rest of us how you prepare. What supplies do you keep on hand? At what level do you plan to evacuate? etc. Please explain your family's plans in detail and then what your local government does to help protect you from potential hazzards.
 
I live in Charlotte, NC and the beach's only like 3 hours away from here so looks like we may just some strong winds and lots and lots of rain and stuff like when it hits SC sometime.
 
catlover_Amy81 said:
Isn't Ophelia really bad as Hurricane Katrina, is it? :ugh:
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I doubt it. We've been getting hurricanes every year everytime it hits the west/south states (VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, LN, etc) and very few has been killed, but still alot of homes has been destoryed and so on.
 
*sighs* In Pa., there always raining all days and sometimes flood. I don't think that many hurricanes involve in Pa., but I learned about some hurricanes ( I can't remember those names ) involved and a lot of floods long times ago before I born, not as after Hurricane Katrina's. Oh boy, I'm getting worry so much....
 
catlover_Amy81 said:
*sighs* In Pa., there always raining all days and sometimes flood. I don't think that many hurricanes involve in Pa., but I learned about some hurricanes ( I can't remember those names ) involved and a lot of floods, not as after Hurricane Katrina's. Oh boy, I'm getting worry so much....
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I dont think you need to be.

You live up in the north so the only problems you would have to worry about is tons of heavy snow and ice during the winter.

(and Yes I've been in Penn twice.)
 
Thanks, but nah! I'm not alway worrying about heavy snow and ice! But well, my Dad is. Hehehehe, oh well, I guess he will get on my nerves again if the snow storm is coming. :giggle: I really love the snow! :fruit:
 
catlover_Amy81 said:
Isn't Ophelia really bad as Hurricane Katrina, is it? :ugh:
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no.. it just turned into hurricane from tropical storm this morning.. i believe its cat 1 or 2.


i notice there's 2 more hurricanes hurricane maria and hurricane nate in atlantic ocean :eek: 3 hurricanes running on same time in same ocean :thud:
 
People need to evaculate from Florida, and not wait til that thing strengthening up. :pissed:

The Government need to make law tough and put a FINE or jail time on people

who refusing to evaculate.
 
You are not the only one who will face this. I've seen the disasters are growin' than before and, we ALL will face them ourselves as well. We've learned what the Katrina Hurricane did to New Orleans and this will benefit us to prepare ours better when it comes. We know what to do after we learned what happened to New Orleans.

You and the people in that area are in my thoughts and prayer. Do hope that things will calm and ease in your area without destruction. :)
 
Yes, it's important to listen weather warning and then have preparation.


You and everybody are my prayer and thoughts, also with name of Europe, too.
 
so am I

Would same thing in case prepare for us evualation ready.... No matter how's seriouis hurriance... Prefer stick w/Cat 4 or 5.. Of course, we must leave here... and also must take our stuffs away values things what we need the most. Nothing seriouis things.. Leave it... :D I cannot live without my seriouis stuff...
 
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