Decision to evacuate not always easy

If a destructive hurricane comes, they fully expect at least some residents in the gated North Charleston community off Dorchester Road to ride it out rather than evacuate. And they're ready to protect the place.

"Some of the people in our neighborhood say they'll stay no matter what," said Russ Bernard, committee chairman.

Today marks the official start of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, the time of year when conditions are ripe for tropical storms to form. While the season runs through November, the most worrisome time for Charleston residents tends to be from August through September, as storms off West Africa strengthen while crossing the Atlantic and curl toward the Southeastern coast.

When one of them takes aim at South Carolina, residents must make a choice: Evacuate or not?

For many people, the answer isn't as easy as "just go," and for a multitude of reasons: The frustrations of bumper-to-bumper traffic; finding food, gas and a place to stay; not wanting to disrupt their families or deal with pets on the road; concern for getting back after a damaging storm to work on their homes. And vandalism. They want to defend what they have.

As year after year passes without a damaging landfall, and the coast and its roads get more and more crowded, that reluctance to leave gets more worrisome for emergency managers.

Despite the dangers, most people waver when deciding what to do when a storm closes in.

"We find people don't take the decision lightly," said Kirstin Dow, an associate professor of geography at the University of South Carolina who has studied the evacuations of Katrina in 2005 and Floyd in 1999, Charleston's last mandatory evacuation. People weigh a number of concerns against their experience with previous storms and how bad they think the coming storm will be.

Wolf Kutter, vice chairman of the Coosaw Creek committee, recalls being on a plane with a man who evacuated for Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, the devastating Gulf Coast storms. Both times, he told Kutter, he had a problem with gangs moving into the neighborhood. People don't like to talk about this, he said, but it's something you're going to have to think about.

That struck home for Kutter, a retired combat battalion colonel. He's brought his military experience to the Coosaw group, one of the Lowcountry's first community response organizations, to bring to bear its unusual level of planning, gear and security.

The Hurricane Floyd evacuation stranded people on traffic-clogged roads for hours, and the storm only brushed the Lowcountry. That experience has emergency officials concerned that too many people just won't leave the next time. Coosaw Creek residents point to the experience as one reason they would stay.

Despite improved evacuation plans, the number of new residents and cars since Floyd hit has officials urging every year for people to leave as early as possible to avoid traffic tie-ups.

The mantra is the same each year: Get ready. Put up emergency supplies and medicines, work out emergency contacts with family members, have a place to go or evacuate to a shelter. But emergency managers concede that their ability to provide public storm shelters and temporary housing in the aftermath of a devastating storm might be overrun by the potential need.

"What you're going to find in many cases is there is no solution" for temporary housing, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate said in a teleconference.

"Temporary housing is one of the issues," said Derrec Becker, public information coordinator for the state Emergency Management Division. "We will probably need federal assistance."

The federal government asked the state to provide them with options on what the federal government could provide, and the state did. "But we have yet to hear (back) from the federal government," Becker said.

Dow said people have to balance all that against the risk.

"On the other hand, what's it worth for you (to stay)? You'd like to stay home to take care of damage. But you'll have no electricity, no water. You might get hurt. There's really not a lot of evidence of looting taking place after a storm," she said. "There's a lot of law enforcement present. It's an overstated concern."

Emergency managers do a good job of getting word out about the importance of evacuating for personal safety, Dow said. But each year, the situation gets more complicated because of the previous season's experience and the growing number of people and diverse communities along the coast. Like that public expectation, the message needs to keep evolving.

"We do evacuate, most of us, depending on the scale of the storm. It's a headache and a disruption, but people do evacuate," Dow said.

Kutter agreed, saying, "Most of the (Coosaw Creek) community members will probably think hard about riding out anything worse than a Category 2 storm."

Before a storm

Prepare an evacuation plan

Identify ahead of time where you could go if you are told to evacuate. Choose several places - a friend's home in another town, a motel or a shelter.

Keep handy the telephone numbers of these places, as well as a road map of your locality. You may need to take alternative or unfamiliar routes if major roads are closed or clogged.

Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or local radio or TV stations for evacuation instructions. If advised to evacuate, do so immediately.

What to take with you

Prescription medications and medical supplies.

Bedding and clothing, including sleeping bags and pillows.

Bottled water, battery-operated radio and extra batteries, first-aid kit, flashlight.

Car keys and road maps.

Documents, including driver's license, Social Security card, proof of residence, insurance policies, wills, deeds, birth and marriage certificates, tax records, etc.

Assemble a disaster supplies kit

These items should be included:

First-aid kit and essential medications.

Canned food and can opener.

At least 3 gallons of water per person.

Protective clothing, rainwear and bedding or sleeping bags.

Battery-powered radio, flashlight and extra batteries.

Special items for infants, elderly or disabled family members.

Written instructions on how to turn off electricity, gas and water if authorities advise you to do so. (Remember, you'll need a professional to turn them back on.)

Prepare for high winds

Install hurricane shutters or purchase precut 5/8-inch outdoor plywood boards for each window of your home. Install anchors for the plywood and predrill holes in the plywood so that you can put it up quickly.

Make trees more wind-resistant by removing diseased and damaged limbs, then strategically removing branches so that wind can blow through.

When under a hurricane watch

Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or local radio or TV stations for up-to-date storm information.

Prepare to bring inside any lawn furniture, outdoor decorations or ornaments, trash cans, hanging plants and anything else that can be picked up by the wind.

Prepare to cover all windows of your home. If shutters have not been installed, use precut plywood as previously described.

Note:

Tape does not prevent windows from breaking, so taping windows is not recommended.

Fill your car's gas tank.

Check batteries and stock up on canned food, first-aid supplies, drinking water and medications.

When under a hurricane warning

Listen to the advice of local officials, and leave if they tell you to do so.

Complete preparation activities.

If you are not advised to evacuate, stay indoors, away from windows.

Be alert for tornadoes. Tornadoes can happen during a hurricane and after it passes over. Remain indoors, in the center of your home, in a closet or bathroom without windows.

Stay away from flood waters. If you come upon a flooded road, turn around and go another way. If you are caught on a flooded road and waters are rising rapidly around you, get out of the car and climb to higher ground.

During a storm

Stay inside in a safe place.

Closely monitor radio, TV or NOAA Weather Radio for official bulletins.

Close storm shutters.

Follow instructions issued by local officials. Leave immediately if ordered.

If staying in a home

Turn refrigerator to maximum cold and keep closed.

Turn off utilities if told to by authorities.

Turn off propane tanks.

Unplug small appliances.

Fill bathtub and large containers with water in case tap water is unavailable. Use water in bathtubs for cleaning and flushing only. Do NOT drink it.

If winds become strong and you did not evacuate

Stay away from windows and doors, even if they are covered.

Take refuge in a small interior room, closet or hallway.

Be alert for:

1. Tornadoes:

They are often spawned by hurricanes.

2. The calm eye of the storm:

It may seem like the storm is over but after the eye passes, the winds will change direction and quickly return to hurricane force.

3. Storm surge flooding:

These high waves can be more deadly than hurricane winds. Leave the coast and stay away from low-lying areas, creeks, streams and other inland waterways.

After a storm

Keep listening to radio, TV or NOAA Weather Radio.

Wait until an area is declared safe before entering.

Watch for closed roads. If you come upon a barricade or a flooded road, turn around.

Avoid weakened bridges and washed-out roads.

Stay on firm ground. Moving water only 6 inches deep can sweep you off your feet. Standing water may be electrically charged from power lines.

Once home, check gas, water and electrical lines and appliances for damage.

Use a flashlight to inspect for damage. Never use candles and other open flames indoors.

Do not drink or prepare food with tap water until officials say it is safe.

If using a generator, ventilate and avoid electrocution by following manufacturers' instructions and electric code.

American Red Cross; NOAA

Contacts

The Post and Courier/POSTANDCOURIER.COM

For severe weather updates, follow The Post and Courier on Twitter at twitter.com/postandcourier. To search for weather info or tweet weather info, use hashtag #chswx.

--Traffic Web cameras: postandcourier.com/traffic

--Storm Center: postandcourier.com/hurricane

Boating safety

--Boat Owners Association: boatus.com

--Florida Sea Grant: flseagrant.org

Local government

--Berkeley County emergency management: http://GIS.BerkeleyCountySC.gov/hurricane

--Charleston County: charlestoncounty.org

--Colleton County: colletoncounty.org

--Dorchester County: dorchestercounty.net

Getting help and information

--American Red Cross: redcross.org

lowcountryredcross.org

--Centers for Disease Control: www.bt.cdc.gov

--Federal Emergency Management Agency: fema.gov

--National Weather Service Hurricane Center: www.nhc.noaa.gov

--National Hurricane Center: hurricanesafety.org

--S.C. Emergency Management Division: scemd.org

Phone numbers

--Charleston County Emergency Preparedness Division: 202-7400.

--Charleston County Emergency Public Information Line: 202-7100; Spanish: 202-7191 (Working during Emergency Operation Center Activation).

--Disabilities Resource Center: 225-5080.

--S.C. Department of Transportation (Evacuation Traffic Information): 1-888-877-9151.

2009 storm names

--Ana

--Bill

--Claudette

--Danny

--Erika

--Fred

--Grace

--Henri

--Ida

--Joaquin

--Kate

--Larry

--Mindy

--Nicholas

--Odette

--Peter

--Rose

--Sam

--Teresa

--Victor

--Wanda