S.C. Officials Review Hurricane Preparations

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina leaders gathered in Columbia on Wednesday to review hurricane preparations.

While the hurricane season began June 1, the peak of the season still lies ahead.

VIDEO: S.C. Reviews Hurricane Preparations

This week's meeting is part of the state's effort to make sure localities are prepared and that evacuation plans are as ready as possible.

In September 1999, people trying to evacuate from the approach of Hurricane Floyd ended up sitting for hours in traffic on Interstate 26.

Emergency preparedness officials were roundly criticized for being too slow to reverse lanes on the highway.

"We've got plans in for lane reversals and counter-flows and we will start making the recommendation start the evacuation early," South Carolina Emergency Management Director Ron Osborne said. "Especially if Florida and Georgia have already evacuated."

In addition, emergency workers can now monitor the traffic from Department of Transportation cameras that line the interstate.

Emergency managers will coordinate their efforts from a command center in Columbia, also new since 1999.

"This whole center didn't exist during Hugo (in 1989), so we spent a lot of money in South Carolina to upgrade our emergency response capabilities," South Carolina U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said.

Representatives of 40 agencies from the county to the state and federal will be able to communicate and work together in the facility.

Emergency officials said that all highway lanes would be reversed heading inland anytime a Category 2 or greater hurricane is forecast to hit the South Carolina coast.

Officials stressed that anyone evacuating would need to plan ahead and take valuables and pets, because there would no chance to return for a second trip.