SCEMD Monitors Tropical Storm Nicole

South Carolina residents should monitor Tropical Storm Nicole, which could affect many parts of the state after making landfall along east coast of Florida. Forecasters with the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center believe South Carolina could experience periods of heavy rain, gusty winds, tornadoes and storm surge due to Tropical Storm Nicole, with the greatest impacts beginning Thursday and lasting into Friday.

South Carolina residents and visitors in potentially vulnerable areas should review their plans and consider actions they would need to take if the storm threatens the state. Everyone should monitor the storm via local news media and follow updates from the National Hurricane Center and local National Weather Service offices.

“The exact location and the severity of what Tropical Storm Nicole does to our state will depend on its intensity,” SCEMD Director Kim Stenson said, “Given the uncertainty of the storm’s strength and path as it approaches South Carolina, residents need to have their personal emergency plans ready to go just in case we need to take safety precautions later in the week.”

Residents can use Hurricane.SC, an interactive hurricane guide, to review their safety plans. The SC Emergency Manager mobile app (in the App Store and on Google Play) is available to build a personal emergency plan, keep track of emergency supplies, and have a way to stay connected with loved ones in addition to official emergency information.

The South Carolina Emergency Management Division has notified key local and state agencies to be ready to respond if the need arises. Emergency managers are making initial preparations for the possibility of any hazardous situations while select personnel from SCEMD’s Operations and Preparedness sections continue to monitor Tropical Storm Nicole from the State Emergency Operations Center in West Columbia. SCEMD is also prepared to respond to requests for aid from neighboring states as needed.