SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – As Hurricane Ian makes its way to South Carolina, emergency services in Upstate counties are preparing.
Officials said their Thursday call volume has been pretty normal. What they’re preparing for, is Friday. They said updates with the storm are changing, but regardless of how hard the Upstate is hit, there are certain precautions people need to take.
“We just are really anticipating a lot of rain, and a lot of rain in a short period of time, which then causes flooding issues,” said Gaffney Fire Chief Jamie Caggiano.
Emergency management agencies and fire departments all over the Upstate are getting ready.
“We anticipate, tomorrow, an increased call volume,” said Chief Caggiano.
They are constantly re-adjusting when the forecast changes.
“It was predicted the eye of the storm would come right over the Spartanburg/Cherokee County area. That no longer is true. They moved the track considerably to our east,” said Doug Bryson.
Doug Bryson, with Emergency Management for Spartanburg County, said the eye of the storm is predicted to come up through the Columbia area.
“Which puts us on the west side of the storm, which if there is such thing as a good side, the west side is the most favorable,” said Bryson.
The Upstate will see wind and rain.
“A lot of wind. So, I think you’re going to see a lot of limbs down. Hopefully the power stays on, but you’re probably going to see some power outages,” said Chief Caggiano.
Caggiano said people need to be extremely careful.
“If you don’t have to go out, don’t go out, especially, if you see a road flooded, please don’t drive through it,” he said.
He said to make sure you have what you need.
“Make sure you do have food for a day or two, in case you lose power. Make sure you have a way to cook. If you do have a generator, please don’t put it in the garage,” said the fire chief.
If strong winds hit your area, he said get as low as you can.
“If you’ve got a basement, the basement is always the best thing to get to. If you’ve got a room without windows, we ask people to stay in rooms without windows. And then, if you’ve got a center room, in the center of your house,” said Chief Caggiano.
Bryson said the hurricane is going to move a lot faster through South Carolina then it did Florida.
“That’s good from a rain standpoint, because that means it’s not basically going to stall over us and dump feet and feet and feet of rain. But, when the storms move quicker, that usually means the winds are more severe,” he said.
Both officials say power lines will be coming down and if you see them, do not approach them. They say to treat every downed wire like it’s live.
Bryson said if you see a downed line in Spartanburg County, do not call 911, but your power company.
He said try not to call 911 unless it’s a life-safety issue.