2 January 2017
Inside the Storm ( Continued From Previous Page )
Over the weekend , however , the storm made a northward turn and was projected to make an initial landfall over Haiti early in the week . By Monday , Oct . 3 , Matthew had the attention of the entire southeastern United States , including emergency preparedness officials in Charleston . KICA staff began to ready the island for the possibility of a significant weather event , while the town activated its Municipal Emergency Operations Center ( MEOC ) and invited the Emergency Operations Team to participate in a noon Tri-County conference call with various agencies across the region . During that call , Charleston County officials indicated that the region was in the cone of vulnerability and did not expect that forecast to change any time soon . They stated that a worst case scenario would suggest an evacuation order for Wednesday .
While the storm wobbled slowly on a track toward Haiti , KICA preparations continued . Equipment and vehicles were readied and fueled , ponds were at maximum drainage , facilities were prepared , systems readied for shut down , contractors notified to secure job sites , and literally hundreds of check list items were worked round the clock in anticipation of a possible evacuation . KICA also activated its emergency contracts , signaling to our team of road clearing and debris contractors that they were to be on Kiawah immediately following the storm and get to work without delay . Costs for these services are negotiated annually and months in advance of hurricane season . Like insurance , we hope we ’ ll never need them , but the emergency contractors ( too many to name ) paid off in a big way and are a big reason roads were cleared in such short order .
On Tuesday , Oct . 4 , the MEOC participated in the noon tricounty conference call . During this call , officials indicated that an evacuation order from Governor Nikki Haley was probable , and that she ’ d likely close all schools in South Carolina the next day , and until the threat of the storm had passed . Later that afternoon , Governor Haley made it official , stating , “ With winds this high and surge this high , this is not something we want to play with . I don ’ t want to sit there and think about fatalities .”
While Governor Haley ’ s order was to be activated the following day , Kiawah Mayor Charlie Lipuma issued a statement encouraging people to leave early . “ Safety is our greatest concern ,”
stated Mayor Lipuma . “ I am encouraging property owners to leave prior to the official evacuation time .”
By Wednesday , Oct . 5 , forecasters were predicting a Charleston area landfall as a Category 2 or 3 storm , with wind speeds of up to 100 mph and a 5 to 7-foot storm surge . Mayor Lipuma signed a proclamation placing Kiawah Island under a state of emergency . Town officials also announced plans to relocate its MEOC to a location outside the area ( Augusta , Georgia ). The reversal of the interstate was activated and hundreds of thousands of coastal residents headed inland .
On Thursday , Oct . 6 , Chief Colleen Walz of the St . Johns Fire District ( SJFD ) informed Kiawah officials that SJFD personnel would ride the streets of Kiawah , Seabrook and the other locations in their service area to look for those who had stayed behind and encourage them to evacuate . She further indicated that SJFD would remove its apparatus and personnel from the island in advance of the storm , most likely Friday afternoon . She stressed that people needed to leave , because once her team and EMS were gone , there ’ d be no one to respond to emergencies until after the storm . At noon , KICA Security barricaded the incoming lane to Kiawah and evacuated .
Also at noon , the town ’ s MEOC opened in Augusta , Georgia and officials participated in the Tri- County conference call . KICA COO Jimmy Bailey relocated to Augusta with the town , while other key KICA personnel were strategically positioned in places where they could respond to issues during and after the storm . For example , communications personnel were far enough from the threat of severe weather to secure continuous availability of phone and internet connectivity throughout , ensuring KICA ’ s ability to provide uninterrupted communications to members . Others , such as security leadership and initial assessment teams , were closer to Kiawah for the earliest return . The town had a representative on site at the Charleston County Emergency Operations Center who reported to the MEOC in Augusta , and was available to make resource requests as needed to emergency management officials .
By Friday , Oct . 7 , most residents had evacuated and the storm was forecast to hit later that afternoon
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