Mount P and the islands get ready for Hanna, Ike

Tropical Storm Hanna and two more storms roiling behind on the same path may not even come to South Carolina's shore, but uncertain residents of beach communities were preparing for the worst Wednesday.

On Sullivan's Island, firefighters prepped vehicles at the main station filling them with gas and picked up trash cans stationed at the end of beach paths. They also worked to install smaller shutters and scheduled a drill Wednesday evening for volunteers in order to review emergency plans, said Sullivan's Island Fire Chief Anthony Stith. Hanna seemed to be weakening Wednesday, but Tropical Storms Ike and Josephine weren't far behind.

Stith said he hoped all storms would miss the island.

"But we got to be ready," Stith said.

Both Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island officials were waiting for a better forecast on the storm's path before issuing voluntary or mandatory evacuations, though Isle of Palms posted a sign at the end of the connector warning visitors of possible rip tides. Both towns have also seen an increase in applications for hurricane re-entry stickers, which are required to return to barrier islands after an evacuation.

In Mount Pleasant, Magwood Marina employees were doing nothing more to prepare for storms than talking about the last time a big one came.

Jay Sewell of Magwood Marina along Shem Creek said Hurricane Hugo brought a storm surge that raised water to the top of the marina building's door, about 7 to 8 feet. Water that high would flood the bottom level of the marina's new dry stack, but Sewell said even if Tropical Storm Hanna landed in Charleston there wouldn't be much he could do but watch.

Reach Jessica Johnson at 937-5921 or jjohnson@postandcourier.com.