Mayor Cogswell issues curfew amid severe weather forecast for Charleston

William Cogswell Jr. City of Charleston Mayor | Ballotpedia

By Charleston Reporter

Aug 5, 2024

AUGUST 5, 2024 – CHARLESTON, S.C. – Mayor Cogswell has issued a city-wide curfew for 11:00 PM tonight. Thoroughfares leading onto the peninsula will be closed from 11:00 PM and then officials will reassess at 10:00 AM Tuesday. The National Weather Service is predicting 10-12 inches of rainfall beginning at midnight. The Charleston Police Department will begin preemptively closing vulnerable roads at 8:00 PM tonight.

Key Updates

Severe Flooding Expected: Tropical Storm Debby is expected to bring 10-12 inches of rain to the city starting at midnight. The National Weather Service warns of potentially catastrophic effects from this level of rainfall. Severe flooding is anticipated across the city, including in areas that do not typically experience flooding.

Access to the Peninsula to Close: Main thoroughfares leading into the peninsula will be closed by emergency responders starting at 11:00 PM. The Charleston Police Department will begin erecting barricades on vulnerable streets at 8:00 PM. A total of 170 barricades are already staged throughout the city. Officials will assess conditions in the morning before reopening roadways. The following thoroughfares will be closed:

From Mount Pleasant:

•17 and E Bay St

•17 and Meeting St

•17 and Crosstown

From I-26:

•I-26 and Mount Pleasant St.

•I-26 and Rutledge Ave

•I-26 and Crosstown

From West Ashley:

•Savannah Hwy and Lockwood

•Savannah Hwy and Crosstown

From James Island:

•SC-30 and Calhoun St

From North Charleston:

•Meeting Street Extension

•King Street Extension

Residents Urged to Stay Home: Officials strongly advise residents to stay home tonight and throughout tomorrow. Avoid traveling 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 become impassable is not advisable.

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 Filling Up Quickly: Now is the time to move your vehicles to high ground. Below is a list of garages that still have available parking. The following city garages are open for free:

oSt. Phillips Street Garage (34 St. Phillips Street) (235 spots left)

oAquarium Parking Garage (24 Calhoun Street) (405 spots left)

oVisitor Center Parking Garage (63 Mary Street) (FULL)

oCharleston Tech Center Parking Garage (997 Morrison Drive) (475 spots left)

oQueen Street Garage (93 Queen Street) (140 spots left)

oWest Edge Garage (99 West Edge Street) (FULL)

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

Sandbag Distribution: As of 6:00pm, over 49,000 sandbags have been distributed throughout the city. Sandbags are no longer available at all four locations; however, sand is still available. Residents should bring their own shovels and bags, with a limit of 10 bags per residence. Distribution sites include:

o1580 Ashley Gardens Blvd – Bee’s Landing Recreation Center (West Ashley)

oHampton Park, Mary Murray Dr., at Ashley Ave – Parking Lot by Ball Fields (Peninsula)

oSevens Farms Drive – Governor’s Park Parking Lot near the Dog Park (Daniel Island)

o1051 Fort Johnson Rd., Bayview Soccer Complex – Circular Drive Adjacent to Bathrooms and Concession Stand (James Island)

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

Continued Preparations:

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

High-water vehicles and crews with essential resources will be deployed.

We have lowered water levels at Colonial Lake and Lake Dotterer.

We will clear storm drains on flood-prone streets and install temporary pumps in vulnerable areas.

Stay Informed:

Residents should stay informed through local media channels for updates on Tropical Storm Debby’s progression:

City Instagram

City Twitter

City Facebook

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City officials will continue providing regular updates from the National Weather Service regarding local impacts.