Beaufort County declares state of emergency, no evacuation ordered ahead of Hurricane Ian
Hurricane Ian has triggered a state of emergency for Beaufort County, but residents have not been ordered to evacuate.
Beaufort County Council Chairman Joe Passiment issued the local state of emergency at 4 p.m. Wednesday, an hour after Gov. Henry McMaster declared a statewide emergency.
A state of emergency simply allows state or local governments to more quickly move resources to help with disaster recover and gives them the power to order evacuations
The county won’t restrict driving, according to a press release. However, residents are encouraged “not to travel or joyride” from Friday to Saturday morning, when Hurricane Ian is expected to impact the area with tropical storm winds and flooding.
Heavy rains and strong winds remain the biggest threats from the storm, and residents of low-lying areas or areas that experienced flooding during previous storms should track storm surge warnings. All residents should prepare for extended power outages and downed trees.
Sheriff P.J. Tanner will hold a livestream press conference at 3 p.m. Thursday to share more information on hurricane preparations that can be viewed on Facebook live or the Beaufort County streaming channel.
This story was originally published September 28, 2022 at 5:45 PM.
