Governor urges South Carolinians to stay off roads during Idalia

May 31, 2023

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COLUMBIA, S.C. — Stay at home: That was the message from South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and other emergency management officials at a briefing Wednesday afternoon ahead of Idalia's impacts in South Carolina.

Anytime from about 6 o'clock on, everybody needs to really be on their guard, and they need to go ahead and they need to go ahead and prepare right now," McMaster said. "This is not as bad as some that we've seen. We don't think it is going to be as destructive as some, but it is going to be destructive."

The governor warned of high winds and heavy rains, especially along the South Carolina's coast and Lowcountry, on Wednesday night.

"These storms are dangerous," McMaster said. "There's gonna be water on the roads. There'll be water that does snot appear to be deep, and your car could get flooded out. There could be a hole in the road. It could be washed out. If you can't see the road, then don't ride on it."

RELATED: WHAT TO EXPECT: Hurricane Idalia expected to bring strong winds and flooding potential to South Carolina

"Be very careful, and stay inside," McMaster urged. A tree limb can come down and hit someone and you could break bones, have concussions, even be paralyzed. There are horrible things that can happen when the wind blows limbs down."

McMaster also warned of probable power outages but said power companies already have resources out and pre-staged to help restore power as quickly as possible.

"Everybody's ready, everyone's prepared," McMaster said, noting emergency management officials had been in contact with cities and counties throughout the day and the state is operating under an executive order declared yesterday.

RELATED: McMaster declares state of emergency in South Carolina ahead of impacts from Hurricane Idalia

McMaster again reminded residents to have an emergency plan, have important papers, prescriptions and pets ready to go, should the need to leave arise. "But until you you have to get out, stay home. Stay home tonight and don't go sightseeing to see what's happening. Don't go driving around. There's nothing good gonna come from that."

Kim Stenson with the S.C. emergency Management Division said the State Emergency Management Operations Center has been activated and will be coordinating with local governments throughout the duration of the event. Most requests so far have been for sandbags and assistance with shelter management.

Christy Hall with the S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT) said state crews, along with local crews have been preparing for the storm by cleaning ditches and cleaning pipes. SCDOT has surged resources into areas projected to be most impacted by the storm. Those resources are prepared to help clean debris off roads, repair traffic signals and assist drivers in need along the interstate. Hal asked people to stay off the roads during the storm and to be mindful of crews working around the arounds after the storm.

RELATED: How to report a power outage in South Carolina

Nanette S. Edwards with the Office of Regulatory Staff reiterated the expectation of power outages for up to 200,000. She reminded residents that restoration efforts cannot begin until winds die down to under 35 MPH and those crews cannot operate at night. She urged residents to stay away from any downed power lines and to report those to the local power company.

For more information about shelters, resources and recovery, visit the the S.C. Department of Emergency Management (SCEMD) website.