(AP) --
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - When hurricanes threaten South Carolina, there no longer will be any voluntary evacuations.
The State newspaper reports (http://bit.ly/LKw9az ) voluntary evacuations are no longer part of the state hurricane plan.
Gubernatorial orders to evacuate as a hurricane approaches will not be considered mandatory. Officials say that will cause less confusion Derrec Becker of the Emergency Management Division says South Carolina was one of the last states to use voluntary evacuation orders given well in advance of a storm. They told people who didn't feel comfortable staying that they should leave the coast.
Becker says a mandatory evacuation will be ordered by the governor in the future.
The Atlantic hurricane season begins next week.
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