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1. What are the procedures following a hurricane and/or disaster?

First, a damage assessment team assesses the damage of the affected and evacuated area. This team consists mainly of public safety personnel.

Minor Damage

If only minor damage exists specifically to utilities such as power, water and sewer, and roadways, county officials make the decision for the time for re-entry.

Major Damage

If major damage occurred to buildings, utilities or roadways, the county provides property owners a time to visit and survey the damage of their property. To gain access to their property, owners must have a copy of the property title, or a tax receipt, or utility bill bearing the address of the property, and picture identification. A driver’s license showing a physical address is acceptable. Once utility companies restore damages and it is safe for entry, County Officials notify property owners that they may return to their property.

2. What are the requirements concerning hurricane evacuation?

When the Governor orders an evacuation, it is required that everyone in the designated area leave. The evacuation order carries the force of state law. In addition, once you leave the area, the order prohibits you from returning until the Governor suspends the order.

3. Where should I go during an evacuation?

Each individual and family in the evacuation zone should decide the best place to move to in the event of an evacuation. This may include staying with family or friends, or traveling to a motel outside the evacuation zone. Several local American Red Cross shelters also provide emergency shelter.

4. Can you tell me what roads are open/closed?

While we will do our best to post road closings on our Facebook and Twitter pages, the best resource to follow is 511sc.org. On your smartphone, you can download the 511 South Carolina Traffic app on the App Store or Google Play.

5. Are the bridges open?

Our agency does not hold the authority to close bridges, and the bridges are not scheduled to close at any specific time. The authority to close bridges, especially the "Georgetown Bridges" linking Georgetown to the Waccamaw Neck, belongs to the South Carolina Department of Transportation.  

That said, bridges typically do not close in the case of inclement weather.   The only time bridges will close is if they are structurally damaged or if there is a motor vehicle accident which will necessitate their closure.  Otherwise, the bridges will typically remain open, but travel may not be advisable depending upon conditions.

6. How do I make a personal preparedness plan for my family?

To help ensure your family is ready for any disaster, you should complete our personal preparedness plan (PDF), and make sure you keep it in a safe place with other important documents that you would want to take during an evacuation or other emergency situation. This plan contains vital information about your family.

7. Where can I get sandbags?

Residents should check with local businesses regarding whether they carry sand bags and/or sand.

When properly filled and placed, sandbags redirect storm and debris flows away from property improvements.

• Fill sandbags half full
• Sand is suggested if readily available, but sand is not mandatory for this method of redirecting flows to be effective. Any type of soil may be used.
• For a more durable bag with increased effective life, mix 10 parts of sand or soil with 1 part of cement. After all bags are in place, a light sprinkling of water is recommended. This technique is only effective with burlap sandbags and will not work with plastic sandbags.
• When placing sandbags, fold the top of the sandbag down and rest bag on its folded top. It is important to place bags with the folded top toward the upstream or uphill direction to prevent bags from opening when water runs by them.
• Place each sandbag in layers, completing each layer prior to starting the next layer. Limit placement to two layers unless a building is used as a backing or sandbags are pyramided.