(Columbia) May 31, 2005 - Hurricane season
begins Wednesday, and with some parts of the state still
stinging from the last round of tropical storms,
emergency officials want you to know they're prepared.
The question is, are we ready?
May 29th through June 1st is Hurricane Awareness Week
in South Carolina. The governor's office made the
proclamation in hopes of rallying folks in this state in
to planning ahead for the worst. As you know, it doesn't
get much worse than full force hurricanes. And with
scientists predicting an active season, emergency
management officials are bracing for the weather now,
while it's quiet.
Last year's storms left behind millions of dollars in
damage. In all, seven tropical systems affected the
state causing at least $146 million in damage and
cleanup costs. Tracking storms and coordinating
emergency response is the job of folks who work at the
state's Emergency Operation Centers.
Joe Farmer said, "We're making these available to the
public directly to their door steps. Starting on June
the fifth, 561,000 households and businesses in South
Carolina will get these dropped on their door steps.
Through newspaper circulation from Columbia to the
entire coast."
Tuesday, state emergency operation center doors swung
open for a media open house. The building serves as
headquarters for emergency operations in the event of a
hurricane. They unveiled the official 2005
South Carolina Hurricane Guide , a publication every
South Carolinian from Columbia to the coast should have
a copy of.
Updated 5:53pm by Bryce
Mursch
