The hurricane season comes every year and with it, a sense of trepidation of what it will bring. I grew up in Buffalo, NY – the land of blizzards and frigid temperatures. Needless to say, hurricanes were a new type of storm to me when I arrived in Charleston in 1999 – the same year Floyd threatened our coast and caused wicked traffic jams leaving the Lowcountry. Thankfully, we left early enough that we missed all the traffic and made it to our destination in record time.
Each spring, I add the NOAA hurricane center website to my task bar so I can remain acutely aware of the weather patterns forming in the Caribbean. I also reprint the checklist of items I should have in the case of a hurricane hitting the Lowcountry. Our pets have a safety plan of their own, and we thankfully haven’t had to put to use our family evacuation plan since Floyd.
If you are new to Charleston, the threat of hurricanes is real. Just ask anyone who was around for Hurricane Hugo in 1989 or anyone affected by Katrina. Take the time to develop your own emergency plans. If a storm does come our way, you can receive updates about the College of Charleston on its emergency website. You will also receive phone call, text, and email alert notifications should the campus close.
