Charleston Reporter

August 5, 2024 – Charleston, S.C. – The City of Charleston has activated its Municipal Emergency Operations Center as it tracks Tropical Storm Debby. The National Weather Service continues to forecast catastrophic rainfall and flooding for the region.

Key Updates

Severe Flooding Expected: Tropical Storm Debby is expected to deliver 10-20 inches of rainfall across the region, with up to 30 inches possible in some areas, according to the National Weather Service Charleston. Rain will begin on Monday, with the heaviest rain anticipated on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The storm's primary concern is its potential to stall over Charleston, causing extended periods of heavy rainfall and severe flooding.

Residents Urged to Stay Home: Officials advise residents to prepare today for Tropical Storm Debby and stay home once the storm arrives. Avoid roadways during heavy rainfall and do not drive around barricades or on flooded streets. Use this link for road closures, damage reports, garage locations, and more. Move valuables, medicine, and important documents to higher ground or a waterproof container. Residents in low-lying, flood-prone areas should consider relocating to higher ground, especially those in single-story homes on slabs. Be aware that wet ground and soil conditions could cause trees to fall. Act promptly, as evacuating a flooded property once roads are impassable is not advisable.

City Offices Closing Monday: All City Offices will close today at 3:00 p.m. and will reopen Friday during normal operating hours (subject to change). All public meetings at the City of Charleston are canceled for the remainder of the week. The Municipal Court at the City of Charleston is closed until Friday.

Press Conference This Evening: Mayor William Cogswell, Police Chief Chito Walker, and Fire Chief Dan Curia will hold a press conference today at 6:00 p.m. in the Public Meeting Room at 2 George Street. The public can view the press conference on the City of Charleston’s official YouTube Channel.

Emergency Shelter and Transportation: A general population and pet shelter is open at the Charleston County Sheriff’s Administration Building (3841 Leeds Ave). Individuals can access the shelter via normal CARTA routes.

Parking Garages Open: The St. Phillips garage located at 34 St. Phillips Street has been added to the list of parking garages open for free during the storm until Friday at 8:00 a.m. Charleston County has also opened parking garages for free at 90 Cumberland Street and 85 Queen Street.

Residents should move their vehicles to these higher ground locations to avoid flood damage. The following city garages are open for free:

- St. Phillips Street garage (34 St. Phillips Street)

- Aquarium parking garage (24 Calhoun Street)

- Visitor Center parking garage (63 Mary Street)

- 99 WestEdge parking garage (99 West Edge Street)

- Charleston Tech Center parking garage (997 Morrison Drive)

- East Bay/Prioleau parking garage (25 Prioleau Street)

The Queen Street Parking Garage (93 Queen Street) will open for free at 3:00 p.m. today and remain open until Friday at 8:00 a.m.

To take advantage of free parking, residents must press the call button upon exiting and inform the operator they are using free storm parking.

Sandbag Distribution: As of 11:00 a.m., the city has distributed over 32,000 sandbags to residents. Distribution will continue today until supplies run out or weather conditions worsen. Residents should bring their own shovels; a limit of ten bags per residence will apply. Distribution sites include:

- Bee’s Landing Recreation Center (West Ashley) -1580 Ashley Gardens Blvd

- Hampton Park - Mary Murray Dr., Ashley Ave.

- Governor’s Park Parking Lot near Dog Park (Daniel Island) - Sevens Farms Drive

- Bayview Soccer Complex -1051 Fort Johnson Rd

Collection Services: Trash collection is canceled for this week; no garbage collection will occur on Tuesday and Wednesday (subject to change). Residents should secure their trash bins from streets.

Citizens Services Desk: The Citizens Services Desk will operate 24 hours a day starting today; residents can call or email non-emergency questions or requests at 843-724-7311 or citizenservices@charleston-sc.gov with Spanish-speaking services available through Charleston County Government at 843-746-3909.

Continued Preparations:

The Charleston Police Department has begun staging barricades at vulnerable intersections throughout the city.

High-water vehicles with essential resources will deploy.

Water levels have been lowered at Colonial Lake and Lake Dotterer.

Storm drains on flood-prone streets have been cleared; temporary pumps installed in vulnerable areas.

Stay Informed:

Residents should stay informed through local media channels or follow City updates via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or sign-up for newsletters from officials regarding updates from National Weather Service about storm progression.

Media Contact:

Deja Knight McMillan

Director of Communications

843-735-4925

McMillanD@charleston-sc.gov