Hurricane Florence Information

Mandatory Evacuation lifted for Beaufort, Japer and Colleton Counties (except Edisto Beach)

At an 11:15 AM press conference today (9/11/2018) at SCEMD Headquarters, Gov. Henry McMaster announced that the planned evacuation order for 12 PM today has been lifted for Beaufort, Jasper and Colleton counties ONLY. The projected path of Hurricane Florence as of this time places those counties outside the "hurricane watch" zone. The evacuation order for all other coastal counties is still in place. (And the town of Edisto Beach in Colleton County)

Both Gov. McMaster and National Weather Service officials emphasized that ALL coastal resident still need to exercise caution and pay attention to future announcements, as conditions could change quickly and the path of the storm is still highly unpredictable.

As of now, state offices, and schools in Beaufort, Jasper and Colleton counties -- as well as Aiken, Bamberg and Hampton counties -- will reopen as normal tomorrow "under the direction of local authorities."

Planned lane reversals for highways 278 and 21 in Beaufort County have been delayed for now. The planned lane reversal for I-26 between Charleston and Columbia is underway. Traffic in all areas will continue to be monitored by the Dept. of Public Safety. For information about the storm and any additional updates, please continue to monitor the SCEMD website at: https://www.scemd.org/

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