Governor Also Issues Executive Order Closing Specific Schools and State Government Offices to Ease Traffic 

Columbia, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster, in coordination with local officials, has issued Executive Order 2018-29 (PDF), which orders the evacuation of coastal South Carolina residents for their personal safety as Hurricane Florence approaches. Residents in all hurricane evacuation zones must evacuate beginning no later than NOON TUESDAY, SEPT. 11.

Evacuation shelter locations will be available on scemd.org and in the SC Emergency Manager mobile app as soon as they are opened.

Evacuees should pack the following essential items in anticipation of a potentially prolonged evacuation period: required medications, adequate clothing, and essential personal items. Residents going to evacuation shelters should bring their own blankets, pillows, cots, and special food items if they are on restricted diets.

Individuals and families should plan to board pets with veterinarians, kennels, or other facilities in non-vulnerable areas. Pets are not allowed inside Red Cross evacuation shelters.

The governor also issued Executive Order 2018-30 (PDF), which orders school closures and closures of all state government offices for all non-essential personnel in the following counties, beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, September 11: Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Beaufort, Barnwell, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Colleton, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Lexington, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter, and Williamsburg.

People who live in the following coastal areas must evacuate beginning noon Tuesday. Residents who do not know their zones can visit SCEMD’s “Know Your Zone” website where they can enter their address and be given their precise zones and view detailed maps of the zones.

Northern South Carolina Coast (All Zones)

• Horry County Evacuation Zones A, B, C
• Georgetown County Evacuation Zones A, B, C

Central South Carolina Coast (All Zones)

• Charleston County Evacuation Zones A, B, C
• Dorchester County Evacuation Zones D, E, F
• Berkeley County Evacuation Zones B, G, H, I

Southern Coast (All Zones)

• Colleton County Evacuation Zones A, B
• Beaufort County Evacuation Zone A
• Jasper County Evacuation Zones A, B

Lane Reversals and Evacuation Routes (All evacuation routes and zones are detailed in the 2018 S.C. Hurricane Guide (PDF)):

The S.C. Department of Public Safety and the S.C. Department of Transportation along with supporting agencies will at noon tomorrow reverse the direction of traffic along certain evacuation routes to ease the flow of traffic away from the coast:

Charleston to Columbia: A full four-lane reversal on I-26 in Charleston will begin at the interchange of I-26 and I-526. The full reversal continues west until the I-26 crossover to I-77 just outside Columbia in Lexington County.

Horry County: Horry County has two four-lane reversals along US 501: SC 544 to US 378; and US 501: Between SC 22 (Conway Bypass) to SC 576 near Marion County.

For the Beaufort and Hilton Head area, we will poise and be ready to reverse US 278 and US 21 if traffic conditions warrant.

South Carolina’s emergency helpline is now active around the clock. Anyone with questions related to Hurricane Florence should call the Public Information Phone System at 1-866-246-0133.