Columbia, SC (WLTX) - South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has ordered the evacuation of most of the coastal region due to the threat posed by Hurricane Florence.
The major hurricane is expected to strike somewhere in the Carolinas, and wherever it hits, it could lead to catastrophic damage. However, forecast models have not yet determined if it will hit in North or South Carolina.
Out of an abundance of caution, McMaster ordered a mandatory evacuation for all coastal areas. However, he updated that Tuesday and took three counties on the list. Here's a look at what's changed:
Evacuation lifted: Beaufort, Colleton, and Jasper counties, with the exception of Edisto Beach.
Evacuation still in effect: all zones in Horry, Georgetown, Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties and for Edisto Beach.
The evacuations went into effect at 12 PM Tuesday.
The state divides the coast into three zones: Northern Coast, Central Coast, and Southern Coast. If you live along the coast and don't know which one you live in, refer to the map below:
Evacuation Areas:
Now there are the zones that will be evacuated. Below each one, we've put the map that you can zoom in on to see a closer look.
Northern South Carolina Coast (All Zones)
• Horry County Evacuation Zones A, B, C
• Georgetown County Evacuation Zones A, B, C
Central South Carolina Coast (All Zones)
• Charleston County Evacuation Zones A, B, C
• Dorchester County Evacuation Zones D, E, F
• Berkeley County Evacuation Zones B, G, H, I
Southern Coast (All Zones)
• Colleton County Evacuation Zones A, B
• Beaufort County Evacuation Zone A
• Jasper County Evacuation Zones A, B
Southern South Carolina Coast (lifted except for Edisto Beach)
Lane Reversals:
The following roads will be reversed:
Interstate 26 from Charleston to Columbia - A full four-lane reversal on I-26 in Charleston will begin at the interchange of I-26 and I-526. The full reversal continues west until the I-26 crossover to I-77 just outside Columbia in Lexington County.
Highway 501 in Myrtle Beach - Beginning at 12 p.m. Tuesday. Horry County has two four-lane reversals along US 501: SC 544 to US 378; and US 501: Between SC 22 (Conway Bypass) to SC 576 near Marion County.
Highway 278 and Highway 21 in Beaufort County - UPDATE These lane reversals were not implemented.
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You can also review the South Carolina Emergency Management Division's checklist for preparation. Again, no need to panic and run out and buy things at the grocery store. But it's just good to go ahead and look at it. There are a ton of good resources there.