(Columbia) July 15, 2003 - Governor Mark Sanford unveiled new plans for evacuation from the South Carolina coast should a hurricane threaten the Palmetto State. He says something had to be done following Hurricane Floyd's gridlock in 1999, "Floyd was a learning experiment for South Carolina. A lot of people weren't happy to be in that experiment, but what we're trying to do is avoid replicating that."

When Hurricane Floyd hit in 1999, the impending storm brought traffic to a halt as people tried to evacuate the coastal area. Since then, state and local leaders have made improvements to the evacuation plan. Emergency Management added a number of cameras around the state and upgraded its web site to better disseminate closest evacuation routes and shelter information.

Sanford says he found out just how frustrated Floyd evacuees were, "What's interesting, being in Congress at that time, the phone's were literally lit up with people calling from the interstates saying what is the problem?" The Governor's wife Jenny was among them, "She was. Lit up some of the phone calls herself."

On Tuesday Governor Sanford and other state leaders travelled to Conway, Charleston and Hilton Head to unveil lane reversal plans, including some South Carolina firsts, "We have for the first time 'four-laned' the Grand Strand," allowing all lanes of US Highway 501 in Horry County between the Conway Bypass and Marion to be used toward Aynor in an emergency.

It also means re-routing all lanes of US Highway 21 from Beaufort toward the Gardens Corner.

The plan allows four lanes leaving Hilton Head Island on US Highway 278 to Interstate 95. An earlier plan called for only three lanes outbound.

From Charleston, eastbound lanes on Interstate 26 will still be reversed allowing travel toward Columbia. But now, except for four interchanges, motorists will be able to exit the highway as they travel between Charleston and Columbia.

Sanford says people who leave earlier will avoid more traffic problems during an evacuation and admitted the new plans won't end traffic jams during evacuations, "Those are the biggest populations on the coast. If you look at Beaufort, Horry, Charleston, now all of those areas have four lanes across out to the coast." He says they will allow the state to "more efficiently manage the process."

John Boettcher with SC Emergency Management says the responsibility for a safe evacuation still points to the individual, "They need a plan to secure their home. Where to go? now is a good time to get an insurance checkup. These are things to be taken care of before the storm."

Other evacuation plans included setting up portable public restrooms at weigh stations during evacuations. The Atlantic hurricane season ends Nov. 30.

Reporting by Megan Hughes
Updated 6:53pm by Chris Rees