Posted on Wed, Aug. 30, 2006

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No mandatory evacuations as storm heads for SC

BRUCE SMITH

Associated Press

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Tropical Storm Ernesto fizzled to a tropical depression on its trek across Florida on Wednesday but was expected to pass out to sea and regain tropical storm strength before making a second landfall along the South Carolina coast.

Gov. Mark Sanford said the state would not require any mandatory or voluntary evacuations but urged coastal residents, including those on barrier islands in mobile homes and in low-lying areas, to pay attention to the storm which was expected to come ashore late Thursday.

"The storm isn't here yet. There's still a lot of uncertainty," he said. "Let's hope it doesn't intensify."

The 240 National Guardsman who had been mobilized on Tuesday were released from duty Wednesday, Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Pete Brooks said. Those troops remain on standby status.

Projections from the National Hurricane Center said Ernesto, which sloshed ashore in Florida on Tuesday evening, could again regain tropical storm strength after crossing the peninsula and heading into the Atlantic late Wednesday.

A hurricane watch for the South Carolina coast was lowered Wednesday but a tropical storm warning was issued in its place.

"If it were up to me, I'd be out of here today," said Mike Bland, 57, of Owensboro, Ky., walking along the sands in Myrtle Beach.

Bland and his wife, Judy, still planned to leave Thursday, well before landfall. "After seeing what happened last year, you have got to watch the news on these things," he said.

The governor, who lives on Sullivans Island outside of Charleston, said he is used to storms being unpredictable.

"You want to find a fine balance between not overreacting and not under-reacting," he said.

The Hurricane Center said it was unlikely Ernesto could become a hurricane before landfall in South Carolina.

"There are no indications that the cyclone will strengthen significantly over water and the best estimate at this time is that Ernesto will reach the southeast U.S. coast as a tropical storm," said a center advisory.

Officials urged people to prepare for whatever comes.

Charleston County Schools announced they would close on Thursday.

Eight C-17 Globemaster III transport planes evacuated Charleston Air Force Base on Wednesday because of the potential for severe weather.

Spokesman Capt. Christopher Moore said five aircraft left for Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., and three were sent to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Eleven other aircraft had departed on scheduled missions before the evacuation of the eight C-17s, Moore said.

"The flight line is empty," he said.

All inbound military flights have been diverted from the air base. No evacuation order has been issued for the military or civilians who work at the base, but several facilities to be closed on Thursday included the base exchange, commissary and legal office. The medical group office and the base pharmacy were to be open until noon, Moore said.

"We want people to take advantage of this time they have today to prepare themselves and their families," said Leon Stavrinakis, chairman of Charleston County Council.

Folks were doing just that on James Island, just across the marsh from the island of Folly Beach, known by locals as "the edge of America."

Gerald Galbreath of James Island made two trips to the James Island Public Service District Fire Department on Wednesday, collecting 24 sand bags.

"I don't want any water coming in and doing any damage," he said. "It's just precautionary."

"All of James Island and Folly Beach is in a flood zone," said Capt. Brian Pucel of the fire department. "So even in just a good storm, a summer storm, we have flooding on the whole island."

However, a handful of surfers rode waves in front of a thin section of Folly Beach known as the Washout - an area where storm surges from earlier hurricanes have washed across the island.

Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley counties opened shelters for residents of low-lying areas, mobile homes or beachfront areas who wanted to voluntarily evacuate.

A hurricane center projection indicated the storm could come ashore between Charleston and Georgetown - in the general location where Hurricanes Charley and Gaston hit back in 2004.

That was the first time since 1959 two named storms made landfall on the South Carolina coast during the same season.

"It looks like rain is going to be more of the issue, especially with it hitting around high tide," said Lisa Bourcier, a spokeswoman for Horry County which includes Myrtle Beach.

At 5 p.m., the depression had winds of about 35 mph and was 40 miles west of Vero Beach, Fla. It was moving north at 14 mph and was expected to turn to the north-northeast on Thursday.

State climatologist Hope Mizzell said areas in the storm's path could use the rainfall but said a quickly moving storm may not help the drought much.

"You don't want too much rain too fast," she said. "That isn't a solution because of the runoff potential. You need a soaking rain."

In Myrtle Beach, Larry and Wilma West of Winston Salem, N.C., weren't worried about Ernesto and planned to keep their vacation schedule and leave on Friday.

But they were also ready to heed Sanford and other officials.

"If we heard (him) right now and he said 'Get out,' we'd get out now," Larry Wilson said.

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Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard in Myrtle Beach and Susanne Schafer in West Columbia contributed to this report.