Thursday evacuation drill bringing planes, (cones) and automobiles to Beaufort County
South Carolina’s annual hurricane evacuation exercise isn’t expected to impact Beaufort County traffic — but Thursday commuters on U.S. 278 and U.S. 21 are in store for some unusual roadside views, according to the SC Department of Transportation and Department of Public Safety.
The statewide drill, running from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, serves as practice for state agencies’ lane reversal plans in the event of a hurricane evacuation.
But no lanes, roads or intersections are closing, and traffic won’t be reversed. Instead, law enforcement officers and other state officials will be staged along westbound U.S 278 exiting Hilton Head and northbound on U.S. 21 leaving Beaufort. In Hampton County, equipment will be stationed along U.S. 278 from Almeda to Hampton.
Aircraft from the SC National Guard and a handful of other agencies will also be making assigned surveillance flights across the state, according to the Wednesday press release.
Hurricane season began June 1 and ends Nov. 30, according to the National Hurricane Center. The Lowcountry’s last mandatory evacuation order came during Hurricane Dorian, lasting from Sept. 1 to Sept. 5, 2019.
