FAST FACTS

HILTON HEAD ISLAND - Officials will be more prepared for the upcoming hurricane season because of what the 2004 season taught them about lane reversals, shelter needs and rapid response for evacuations when a storm suddenly turns, a state hurricane manager said Wednesday at the end of the 2005 S.C. Hurricane/Emergency Management Workshop.

"There were several firsts even though many consider this was not a significant season for us. It was a very significant season," said Jon Boettcher, hurricane program manager for the S.C. Emergency Management Division, which sponsored the workshop. "It was the busiest season in 110 years" for S.C. residents. Hurricane season begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30.

During the 2004 season, officials ordered the first mandatory evacuation since 1999's Hurri-
cane Floyd threatened the area.

Also during that Aug. 13 evacuation, which affected Horry and Georgetown counties, the U.S. 501 lane-reversal plan was used for the first time.

"We were very pleased with the way we pulled off this [U.S.] 501 lane reversal," said Dick Jenkins of the S.C. Department of Transportation. "They're almost a necessity because the numbers are growing of people who live on the coast."

To improve the evacuation and lane-reversal process, Jenkins said there are plans to add 14 traffic cameras along U.S. 501, U.S. 17 and S.C. 22 to monitor traffic flow. The U.S. 501 lane-reversal plan is one of four in the state to move residents away from the coast quickly, something Boettcher said needs more planning for the future population growth in the state's coastal counties.

Boettcher said people's attitudes toward evacuation also are changing. "I think we're seeing they don't want anything to do with the storm," he said. "They don't want the rain to drop on them, and they don't want to deal with the wind."

Because Hurricane Charley made a quick right turn and within hours was across Florida, officials made rapid decisions to order mandatory evacuations of Horry and Georgetown counties, he said. Such fast deployment for the lane reversal and evacuation was a headache but gave officials an idea of how they can improve their rapid response to hurricanes.

"We're looking to set up evacuations in six hours in two to three counties," Boettcher said. "We got all the evacuations done on short notice. It wasn't pretty, but it did work. It will be prettier next time."

Evacuating more people means more people will be seeking shelter, Boettcher said.

A plan is being organized to increase the state's emergency shelter capacity of 135,000 people by 10 percent, which means officials must identify 13,000 additional locations for shelters, Boettcher said.

"We'll be as ready as we can be," he said.

During the 2004 hurricane season, several firsts were recorded:First state hurricane evacuation since Hurricane Floyd in 1999

First hurricane lane reversal anywhere in the state since Floyd

First time the U.S. 501 lane-reversal plan was used near Aynor

First landslide-alert notice issued in the Upstate, during Hurricane Jeanne

# HTMLInfoBox~~Lane reversal

To reverse 22 miles of U.S. 501 from S.C. 22 just south of Aynor to Marion, where the U.S. 501 Bypass begins, state transportation officials must have the following:

30 employees

12 barricades

1,750 orange traffic cones

10 changeable message signs

5 portable highway radio advisory machines