COLUMBIA, S.C. — Motorists traveling to and from the Midlands and Lowcountry on Wednesday should be aware that multiple emergency response agencies will be conducting the annual full-scale hurricane evacuation exercise from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. While no traffic lanes will be actually reversed during this exercise, motorists will notice an increased presence of law enforcement along the designated routes.
The June 5 test by South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCPDS), Department of Transportation (SCDOT), Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) and other state and local agencies is designed to test lane reversal plans for Interstate 26, U.S. 21, U.S. 278, U.S. 501, and S.C. 544 in the event of a coastal evacuation order.
The above agencies will simulate reversal operations on U.S. 278 and U.S. 21, and will be supported by equipment and personnel from SC State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services, Forestry Commission, Civil Air Patrol and SC Army National Guard. The deployment of equipment and personnel will be made on:
- U.S. 278 and U.S. 21 leading out of Hilton Head and Beaufort.
- SCDOT equipment will be stationed on U.S. 278 from Almeda to Hampton in Hampton County.
- Law enforcement personnel and traffic control devices will be deployed along Interstate 26 from the intersection of the 197 mm (Nexton Parkway) and I-26 in Charleston to I-77 and I-26 in Columbia.
- Traffic control equipment and personnel will be stationed on U.S. 501 beginning at S.C. 544 and ending at U.S. 378 as well as between S.C. 22 and the Marion By-Pass.
- The Civil Air Patrol, SCDNR and the South Carolina Forestry Commission will be flying assigned aerial surveillance routes.
Again, the normal flow of traffic will not be interrupted during this exercise. However, SC Highway Patrol urges motorists traveling I-26, U.S. 501, and S.C. 544 as well as U.S. 278 and U.S. 21 to exercise caution and be aware that law enforcement officers and state personnel will be located on the shoulder of the highway and at exits.
“We’ve seen the forecasts calling for a historically active hurricane season,” said SC Emergency Management Division Director Kim Stenson. “With each storm that forms this year, the greater South Carolina’s chances become of seeing at least some type of impacts from a hurricane. It’s been several years since we’ve had to ask people to evacuate. While we hope we don’t have to again this year, it is important for us all, even folks at home, to practice our hurricane plans just in case a storm heads toward our state this year.”