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Web posted Thursday,
September 2, 2004
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S.C. Highway
Patrol Lt. Col. Harry Stubblefield maps out lane
reversals that could be used to evacuate the
Lowcountry.
Thomas J. Turney/Carolina
Morning News
Go
online
For updated road conditions or
evacuation routes, check the S.C. Department of
Transportation's Web site,
www.dot.state.sc.us
| | Evacuation plans ready, just in case
BEAUFORT: Parts of U.S. 278, U.S. 21 could
reversed in 'worst-case scenario.'
By Lolita Huckaby
Carolina Morning News
State
hurricane planners urged Lowcountry residents on
Wednesday to "stay tuned" as Hurricane Frances
bears down on the Southeastern United
States.
"We want to reassure the public
that if - and that's a big if - it becomes
necessary to evacuate, we have taken all the steps
necessary to make sure it's an orderly process,"
Jim Schweitzer, director of the S.C. Department of
Public Safety, said during a press conference in
the Beaufort County Law Enforcement
Center.
Schweitzer was joined by officials
with the S.C. Highway Patrol, Beaufort County
Sheriff P.J. Tanner and county Emergency
Management Director William Winn. They all urged
the public to remain calm but alert to changing
weather conditions in the approach of
Frances.
"We all recall the experiences of
Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and the problems that
occurred when three states were evacuating at the
same time," Tanner said.
Since Floyd, state
and county emergency officials have worked to
fine-tune a plan that takes into account
evacuation patterns from adjoining
states.
A plan to implement lane reversals
on major roads has also been developed, and two of
those roads are in Beaufort County.
The
plan calls for the reversal of one lane on
eastbound U.S. 278, allowing three outgoing lanes
off Hilton Head Island. The plan for U.S. 21 is
similar and allows for three lanes of traffic
exiting the city of Beaufort.
"The lane
reversals would only be used in a worst-case
scenario, when we have a lot of traffic that needs
to be moved quickly," said Lt. Col. Harry
Stubblefield who handles emergency planning for
the Highway Patrol.
Lane reversals were
used on U.S. 501 exiting Myrtle Beach earlier this
month when Hurricane Charley moved across the
state and Gov. Mark Sanford ordered a mandatory
evacuation for the area east of U.S.
17.
The reversal, which had all four lanes
of traffic moving away from the beach, worked
well, according to Schweitzer.
"These
procedures require a lot of cooperation on the
state, federal and local level," he said. "The
public needs to know we've done the planning but
it's up to them to react to the information we
give them."
Dick Jennings with the S.C.
Department of Transportation reminded citizens
that swing bridges will be closed to all boat
traffic once sustainable winds hit 27
mph.
He added that, in some cases if winds
are gusting, vehicle traffic might be redirected
around high-span bridges. There are no high-span
bridges in Beaufort County.
"You need to
take those kind of things into consideration as
you plan your evacuation route," he
said.
Schweitzer said, "Our biggest worry
is the citizen who waits until the last minute to
decide to evacuate, thinking they'll avoid the
rush," said Schweitzer. "Then it may be too
late."
The Beaufort County's Emergency
Operations Center has been on standby for Frances
since Monday morning, Winn said.
"We're on
alert but the bottom line is Mother Nature has the
ability to reach out and let us know she's in
control," he said.
Reporter Lolita Huckaby
can be reached at 524-5448 or
lolita.huckaby@lowcountrynow.com
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