As Hurricane Irene approaches, emergency management officials say it's important for people who live along the coast to have an evacuation plan.
Myrtle Beach resident Lloyd Shook has lived on the Grand Strand for nearly 30 years and has been through many evacuations, including those for Hurricanes Hugo and Floyd. He said his best advice for newcomers to the area is to get out, if possible, well before a hurricane strikes.
"Just don't stay here in Myrtle Beach. You can't do anything to protect your house or yourself," Shook said. "I do have a plan (for Hurricane Irene). I have two night stays already reserved in a motel. I just don't want to be around here."
Horry County public information officer Lisa Bourcier said there are three zones in the county that would be evacuated, if so ordered by the governor.
For a Category 1 or 2 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, all those living along and east of Highway 17 Business would be ordered to evacuate. In a Category 3 or 4 storm, the next evacuation line would be for those living along and east of Highway 17 Bypass. For the most severe Category 5 hurricanes, an evacuation would be ordered for all those living east of the Intracoastal Waterway. Bourcier said the waterway is as far west as any evacuation order would go.
For Grand Strand residents, the South Carolina Department of Transportation has established five evacuation routes:
*North Myrtle Beach and northward: Take SC 9 north to I-95 and beyond.
*Briarcliffe Acres south to Myrtle Beach 10th Ave. North: Take SC 22 to US 501 to Marion.
*Myrtle Beach from 10th Ave. North south to Myrtle Beach Int'l Airport: Take US 501 to Conway. Then, US 378 to Columbia or US 501 to Marion.
*Myrtle Beach Int'l Airport south to Surfside Beach: Take SC 544 to US 501 to Marion.
*Garden City Beach south to Winyah Bay: Take US 17 south to Georgetown.
Additionally, all mobile homes and campers are evacuated for hurricanes, even if securely fastened to the ground. Those living in low-lying or other areas prone to flooding would also be asked to evacuate. Residents of high-rise buildings in evacuation zones must evacuate with everyone else.
The governor may order lane reversals on US 501 to expedite evacuation of the coast, Bourcier said. If that occurs, traffic on all four lanes of US 501 would be directed west-bound to Marion. The lane reversal plan could begin at either the 501 and SC 544 interchange (which may include lane reversals on a few miles of SC 544), or at the 501 and SC 22 interchange. State law enforcement officers and Army National Guard troops would be posted along the routes to direct motorists.
Evacuees are advised to take road maps or GPS units with them, Bourcier said, as they may be unfamiliar with some of the routes.
Bourcier advises evacuees to take along documentation that would allow them to get back into their homes after the hurricane passes. That could be anything that ties a person to his or her home address, like a utility bill, she says.
For more re-entry information, evacuees may call the state Public Information Phone System (PIPS) at 1-866-246-0133.
