West Columbia, SC (WLTX) - South Carolina emergency officials have elevated the state's readiness again, as they prepare for the possibility of Florence becoming a major hurricane and affecting the state.
The South Carolina Emergency Management Division went to Operating Condition 3 (OPCON 3) Sunday morning, That means the agency's operations center in West Columbia, which is where all emergency efforts will be coordinated, is fully activated.
Related Coverage: Latest Forecast on Hurricane Florence
"OPCON 3 status means that agencies are preparing for the possibility of a large-scale disaster or emergency situation as we all monitor the Florence forecasts," the agency said.
On the agency's scale, OPCON 5 is normal, everyday conditions, while OPCON 1 means a natural disaster is underway.
Other local agencies, including Charleston and Georgtown Counties, also moved to OPCON 3 Sunday. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster issued an executive order Saturday declaring a state of emergency in the state. That does not many any evacuations are in place: as of now, they're not. It just means the state's getting their resources together if they need to deploy either here or perhaps to another state. (North Carolina and Virginia's governors have taken similar action.)
Right now, the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center has Hurricane Florence becoming a "major hurricane" sometime Monday. A major hurricane is defined as a Category 3 or higher, with winds in excess of 111 MPH.
The track models are not yet certain where the storm may go. The advice has been that anyone living along the coast of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia should be monitoring the forecast.