Staying Safe: a Guide for Visitors to Charleston
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Winter Weather Enjoy the Water Safely Snow and ice storms, coupled with cold While you enjoy your time in the beautiful temperatures, periodically threaten the water that surrounds us, please use caution. Staying Safe: Charleston area. Winter storms can result in flooding, storm surge, closed highways, blocked The ocean is never 100% safe, so always treat it with roads, downed power lines and hypothermia. If a respect, watch your children and swim with a buddy. a Guide for winter storm watch or warning is issued: √ Consider ending your trip early if you can safely At the beach, pay attention to warning flags. do so. The area between red over yellow flags is a √ Inquire with your hotel, bed & breakfast or rental Visitors to designated lifeguarded swimming area. home management regarding their winter storm policy. A yellow flag alerts you to use extra caution due √ Stay indoors during the storm. If you must venture to rough water or potentially dangerous sea life. Charleston out, use extreme caution and dress in multiple layers of warm clothing. A red flag means NO swimming because of dangerous currents, severe storms, lightning or Keep Cool dangerous sea life. In the summer, Charleston can be A purple flag means there may be high extremely hot. Our temperatures often numbers of dangerous animals (e.g. jellyfish, exceed 90˚ F and we often experience very stingray, man-of-war) in the water. It is not high humidity levels. To stay safe and healthy, intended to notify the public of sharks. observe the following precautions: √ Dress in lightweight, breathable, light color fabrics. √ Drink plenty of non-alcoholic liquids, particularly Beware of rip currents. When water. swimming in the ocean, be aware of the potential for rip √ Slow down and take your time; currents. If you find yourself pulled avoid strenuous activity, out to sea by one, swim parallel particularly in the middle of to the shore to escape the the day. current and then swim back to shore. √ Try to spend time in air- conditioned spaces Use caution when boating. Follow all applicable rules during the hottest points and regulations. Monitor local weather. Never of the day. operate any size or type of watercraft while √ Limit your direct exposure to intoxicated. the sun, especially during the middle of the day. Beware of alligators. Keep your distance and do not √ Wear and reapply sunscreen. approach them. Do not swim in areas known to be Charleston County Building Inspecon Services √ Ask your physician for recommendations on how inhabited by alligators. Take special care of children 4045 Bridge View Drive, Suite A 11 to best cope with hot weather, high humidity and and pets when near water. Never feed alligators. North Charleston, SC 29405 strong sun, if you have special medical conditions. (84 ) 202-69 0 Helpful telephone numbers, websites & local media info for visitors Beware of heat stroke , the most serious form of heat BuildingServices*CharlestonCounty.org For emergencies dial 911 injury. It is caused by prolonged exposure to high www.CharlestonCounty.org temperatures and is often accompanied by Charleston County Emergency Management CharlestonCountry.org (843) 746-3800 dehydration. Fainting may be the first sign. Other South Carolina Emergency Management Division common symptoms include nausea, seizures, SCEMD.org (803) 737-8500 confusion, disorientation, and sometimes loss of consciousness. It is a medical emergency. If you Local television channels Local radio stations CBS: Channel 5, live5news.com WSC: 94.3 FM, 943wsc.iheart.com suspect that someone has heat stroke call 911 NBC: Channel 2, counton2.com WTMA: 1250 AM, wtma.com immediately. ABC: Channel 4, abcnews4.com WSCI: 89.3 FM, etvradio.org Fox: Channel 24, foxcharleston.com WMGL: 107.3 FM, magic1073fm.com photo credit: OzarksRazorback, CC-BY-SA-4.0 Welcome to Charleston! We are glad you are here. If a tropical storm or hurricane watch is issued, it is likely Tornadoes We anticipate that you will be safe while you explore that a storm will make landfall within 48 hours. You If a tornado watch or warning is issued, or if all that Charleston and the Lowcountry have to offer. should: you observe a dark greenish or yellowish sky If there is a weather emergency or other hazard, this or hear a loud roar, take cover indoors. The brochure will provide you with some information on √ Monitor local weather best place to shelter is in a small inner room without how to be safe. and news for the latest windows (e.g. bathroom or closet) or in an inner updates. hallway, on a building's lowest level. Stay away from Flooding √ Inquire with your hotel, windows and get under a mattress or piece of sturdy Floods are the most frequent and costly bed & breakfast or furniture such as a heavy table and hold on to it. natural hazard in rental home the United States. management regarding their evacuation policy and If you are outside, get into the closest building. If that The Lowcountry’s elevation, recommendations. is not possible, crouch low or lie down next to a coastal location and √ If you are visiting by boat, contact your marina’s building or in a ditch or low-lying area. Protect your frequency of rain makes dockmaster for more information. head and neck with your arms. flooding a threat to √ Consider ending your trip early. Airlines will often waive everyone in the region. If you are in a vehicle, exit it immediately and take fees if there is an impending storm. shelter in a nearby building or lie in a ditch or low- If a Flood Watch is issued, conditions are right for √ Fill up your vehicle’s gas tank so you will avoid long lying area away from the vehicle. Never try to flooding. Monitor local media for updates and alerts. lines at gas stations in case of evacuation. outdrive a tornado as they can change direction Find out where you can quickly, and on foot, move √ Refer to the evacuation route map below or for quickly and can easily toss a vehicle in the air. to higher ground. Elevate personal belongings off of detailed evacuation directions visit SCEMD.org. the floor. If evacuations are ordered, follow Earthquake instructions and leave promptly. One of the strongest earthquakes to have ever hit the United States’ east coast If a Flood Warning is issued, flooding is occurring or happened right here in Charleston in 1886. about to occur. Monitor local media and websites such as CharlestonCounty.org and FEMA.gov for Our region is prone to earthquakes and we could emergency notifications. If you are already inside, experience a major one at any time. In fact, this area stay inside and move to a higher floor, if necessary. If experiences small earthquakes on a regular basis. you are outside, immediately get into a building or walk to higher ground. If you are driving, do not drive If you feel a sudden and rapid shaking, the best through flooded areas or any water. Turn around, protection is to “Drop! Cover! Hold On!” Get on the don’t drown. Do not touch downed power lines. Do floor and get not come into contact with or wade through under and hold floodwater as it may contain toxic materials and on to a piece venomous animals and insects. of heavy furniture such After a flood, remain inside until floodwaters subside. as a desk, table If you must go outside, avoid wading through water. or bench. If you are outside, move away from buildings. Most earthquake-related injuries result from Any person or thing touched by floodwater must be If a tropical storm or hurricane warning is issued, a storm collapsing walls, flying glass, and falling objects. disinfected. If you smell gas, immediately contact is expected to make landfall within 36 hours. If a warning emergency personnel. is issued you should consider: Tsunami Hurricanes & Tropical Storms √ Ending your visit to Charleston early and evacuating Even though uncommon in the Charleston Our beautiful coastal location puts us at risk immediately (but make plans to return soon)! area, there is still a threat of off-shore earthquakes which can trigger a tsunami. A for hurricanes and tropical √ Alerting a friend or family member of your location, if tsunami is a series of large ocean waves generated storms. Before you arrive in you stay. Ensure that you have at least a three-day by major earthquakes under the ocean floor. If a Charleston, and while you are here, supply of bottled water and non-perishable food, tsunami warning is issued, follow instructions. If you are follow local weather reports to see if a prescription medications, flashlight and battery- at the beach or near the coast quickly move at least tropical storm or hurricane is in the operated radio. Remain indoors in an interior room two miles inland and to higher ground. forecast. and away from windows and doors. .