The Lowcountry was spared of Hurricane Irene’s wrath last week, but Sun City took the storm seriously and was prepared to batten down the hatches if the threat of a hurricane hitting the area became a reality.
Community Association staff monitored the storm and began preparations for Hurricane Irene early last week with several formal meetings to implement the Community Associations’ Hurricane Preparedness Plan, which covers preseason planning, all the way up to evacuation, said Damon Williams, the assistant executive director.
Planning for Hurricane Irene reached the notification stage locally early last week. All Sun City directors reviewed departmental standard operating procedures as a group to ensure there were no holes in the plan and all responsibilities were clear. The Community Association was lucky that Hurricane Irene swayed eastward and Sun City never reached the hurricane watch/standby mode, Williams added.
In preparation for a possible hit of Hurricane Irene, the Facilities Services Department stocked its emergency preparedness trailer, fueled vehicles, secured barricades and other heavy equipment, readied storm panels and arranged for delivery of the emergency generator for Sun City’s recovery headquarters. Staff also confirmed operation of satellite phones and other communication devices, and readied fuel tanks for filling, and procured storage boxes, trash bags and other supplies.
The Community Association also sent out daily Hurricane Irene updates to residents via email, encouraging them to be prepared for the storm.
By Monday last week, Hurricane Irene appeared to be on track to smack into the Lowcountry. The storm veered further east as the week wore on. Coastal South Carolina to the north of Beaufort County, from Edisto Beach to the border of North Carolina, was under a tropical storm warning as of last Thursday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center. Locally, there was a high risk of rip currents along the coastal waters on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
North Carolina all the up to northeast Atlantic states were affected by Hurricane Irene and sustained power outages, fallen trees and flooding.
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