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The Reality of Life in the Lowcountry

June 2013

The beginning of June brings to close another school year, the beginning of summer, swimming, the beach, and the many outdoor activities we all enjoy. But with June also comes the start of hurricane season. With all the pleasures that come with living in the Lowcountry also comes the possibility of hurricanes. We at the Town of Hilton Head Island take that potential seriously and recommend everyone create or renew their emergency plans to safeguard themselves, family, home or business should we be impacted by a storm, and that includes evaluating your insurance coverage and knowing your evacuation routes if that becomes necessary.

The town, like many local governments, has taken steps to improve our preparedness for and ability to respond to and recover from the impacts of severe weather. Our plans are regularly reviewed, updated and exercised, and our personnel are trained and ready. We have an emergency reserve account, established many years ago to assure funds would be readily available to begin recovery efforts should a storm occur.

While our town staff has and continues to prepare in every way possible, please remember that you are our most vital partner and that the plans you make to protect yourself and your family, home, and business do more than safeguard your loved ones and investments. The better prepared you are, the faster our communities will be able to recover. Numerous resources are available through the Town of Hilton Head Island and other government agencies to assist you in preparing and staying informed including:

The National Hurricane Center has information on preparedness and hurricane activity:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare and http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/?atlc

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) site for personal and business preparedness: http://www.ready.gov/

Beaufort County has several brochures on hurricane preparedness and insurance:
http://www.co.beaufort.sc.us/about-beaufort-county/public-safety/emergency-management/brochures.php

South Carolina Emergency Management Hurricane Guide:
http://www.scemd.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=142:south-carolina-hurricane-guide&catid=21:public-information

South Carolina Hurricane Evacuation Routes: http://www.sctraffic.org/evacroutes.html

The town's Citizen's Guide to Emergency Preparedness folder is available at Town Hall, our Fire and Rescue facilities, and on our website:
www.hiltonheadislandsc.gov/publicsafety/citizensguideemergencyprep.cfm

The town's free E-Subscription Service allows you to receive emergency alerts via email or text.  Subscribe for this free service at http://www.hiltonheadislandsc.gov/publicsafety/emergencyalerts.cfm

Hopefully we'll have a quiet summer and be able to enjoy all that Hilton Head Island and the Lowcountry has to offer. Take some time now to prepare in case Mother Nature decides to send a tropical storm our way. Remember: having a personal and a business emergency plan will help you and our community recover faster.