South
Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has issued an evacuation order for Zone “A” in
Horry and Georgetown counties to officially begin at noon (12:00 p.m.) today,
Thursday, October 6.
Zone “A” includes
all areas east of U.S. Business 17 (Kings Hwy), up to the intersection with
U.S. 17 (Kings Hwy) and all areas east of US 17 (Kings Hwy) to the Northern
county line. In addition, evacuations include all low-lying areas, mobile
homes, and campground sites.
Lane
reversals are not anticipated on Highway 501, but law enforcement is prepared
to implement reversals if
needed.
To support
the evacuation, American Red Cross shelters will open at 12:00 p.m. today for
individuals who must evacuate.
Individuals
are reminded to secure their property before they evacuate. Shelters should
be considered as a place of last resort to ride out the storm, shelters may be
crowded, do not accept pets and are not designed for comfort. When going
to a shelter, citizens will need to take their own supplies such as batteries,
bedding, identification, toiletries, clothing, and so forth. Shelters do not
accept guns, alcohol or animals.
Be aware that, if you are located in Zone “A”
and decide not to evacuate, there may come a point in the passing of this
hurricane that Public Safety personnel cannot come to your rescue due to
excessive wind speeds and/or major flooding of roadways. When you make the
decision not to evacuate, you are then accepting the practical fact that you
may be placing yourself in grave danger.
Once the
Governor rescinds the evacuation order, North Myrtle Beach will activate its
Re-Entry Plan.
Re-Entry
for Residents & Property Owners
Re-Entry will be allowed only after City
personnel have determined that an area is safer for re-entry. If damage has
occurred that is a threat to safety, re-entry will be delayed until the
situation has been rectified. The City’s goal over all is to get people back in
to North Myrtle Beach as soon as things are safe so that you can participate in
recovery.
Re-entry
for Property Owners
• Property
owners should have proper identification to gain admittance. Identification
may include a valid government issued photo ID card showing the location of the
property.
· Out
of state property owners with residential or commercial properties within the
affected area(s) must show a valid government issued photo identification and
current documentation to verify the need for re-entry such as a utility bill,
deed, property tax notice, etc…
Re-Entry
for Business Owners & Essential Employees
• Business
owners/operators will need proper identification to gain admittance to impacted
areas, such as, a current business license, company photo ID card, lease
documents or other official documents showing the location of the property and
as a valid driver’s license.
• Essential
staff/employees will also need proper identification such as a valid driver’s
license and an essential employee authorization letter on official company
letterhead provided by the business. This letter should include a request
for admittance, the employees’ name and be signed by the business
owner/operator.
Be very aware
that the forecast for Hurricane Matthew may change as the storm gets closer to
our coastline.
The City of North Myrtle Beach will continue to post information
regarding Hurricane Matthew prior to, during and following the storm via these
outlets:
- www.NMB.us (See “Press Releases” on the home page)
- www.Facebook.com/cityofnmb
- www.Twitter.com/cityofnmb
Those who experience medical and other emergencies during the
storm may call 911.
For non-emergencies (trees down across a roadway, electrical
wires down across a roadway, etc.), call 843-281-3705. That number is
associated with the North Myrtle Beach Emergency Operations Center.
