Don’t wait to start your preparations for Atlantic hurricane season.
The more prepared you are, the safer you and your family will be. The
tips below will help you get started.
PREPARE FOR THE SEASON
Sign up for communications - The Town of Kiawah
Island leads emergency communications for the
island. To sign up for Town of Kiawah Island emails
or weather alerts through CodeRed, visit www.
kiawahisland.org/disaster-preparedness/. KICA also
shares important town updates with association
members.
Make sure your contact information is up to date.
If you’ve recently changed your email address or
phone number, email your updated information to
[email protected].
Make a plan. This is a good time to solidify what
you and your family will do in the event of a storm.
Make plans for things like how you will evacuate
and where you will go. Consider the care of any
pets as well. Due to COVID-19, hurricane shelters
may not be ideal for those in an older demographic
or those with pre-existing conditions. Please
consider making alternate arrangements if you fall
in these categories. Two websites to help with your
hurricane plan are the South Carolina Emergency
Management Division (www.scemd.org/) and the
National Weather Service (www.weather.gov/safety/
hurricane).
This is a good time to check shutters and generators
to see if repairs or service are needed. Check
insurance policies to make sure they are active and
verify your coverages.
IN THE EVENT OF A STORM
Stay informed. Visit trusted news sources, such as the
National Weather Service and National Hurricane
Center, for information. Check your email inbox for
information from the town and KICA.
Know your evacuation zone. Kiawah is in Zone A. If
an evacuation is issued, the state will use these zones
to evacuate the areas most likely to see landfall first.
Learn more about evacuation routes and zones at
www.scemd.org.
If an evacuation order is issued, immediate action
is required. Have your shutters closed or your home
boarded up. Due to the high winds that tropical
systems can bring, it’s best to remove anything that
may be blown onto another property. Job sites will
need to be secured.
Please keep in mind that during an evacuation, the
state reverses lanes on state highways to get people
away from the coast as efficiently as possible.
AFTER A STORM
Wait until the governor lifts the evacuation order
and the mayor provides a date and time for Kiawah
Island to open to member access. Prior to that time,
anyone attempting to access the island will be
stopped by sheriff’s deputies.
The town leads a damage assessment of the island
after a storm. KICA will attempt to notify members
whose property has sustained damage. However,
damage can be difficult to ascertain from a distance.
Please have a property manager, friend or neighbor
look at your property to confirm you have no
damage if you are unable to return to the island.
KIAWAH ISLAND DIGEST | 5