COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster, in coordination with local officials, has issued Executive Order 2018-29, which orders the evacuation of coastal South Carolina residents for their personal safety as Hurricane Florence approaches. Residents in all hurricane evacuation zones must evacuate beginning no later than NOON TUESDAY, SEPT. 11. Evacuation shelter locations will be available on scemd.org and in the SC Emergency Manager mobile app as soon as they are opened. Evacuees should pack the following essential items in anticipation of a potentially prolonged evacuation period: required medications, adequate clothing, and essential personal items. Residents going to evacuation shelters should bring their own blankets, pillows, cots, and special food items if they are on restricted diets. Individuals and families should plan to board pets with veterinarians, kennels, or other facilities in non-vulnerable areas. Pets are not allowed inside Red Cross evacuation shelters. The governor also issued Executive Order 2018-30, which orders school closures and closures of all state government offices for all non-essential personnel in the following counties, beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, September 11: Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Beaufort, Barnwell, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Colleton, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Lexington, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter, and Williamsburg. People who live in the following coastal areas must evacuate beginning noon Tuesday. Residents who do not know their zones can visit SCEMD’s “Know Your Zone” website where they can enter their address and be given their precise zones and view detailed maps of the zones. Northern South Carolina Coast (All Zones) Horry County Evacuation Zones A, B, C Georgetown County Evacuation Zones A, B, C Central South Carolina Coast (All Zones) Charleston County Evacuation Zones A, B, C Dorchester County Evacuation Zones D, E, F Berkeley County Evacuation Zones B, G, H, I Southern Coast (All Zones) Colleton County Evacuation Zones A, B Beaufort County Evacuation Zone A Jasper County Evacuation Zones A, B Lane Reversals and Evacuation Routes (All evacuation routes and zones are detailed in the 2018 S.C. Hurricane Guide): The S.C. Department of Public Safety and the S.C. Department of Transportation along with supporting agencies will at noon tomorrow reverse the direction of traffic along certain evacuation routes to ease the flow of traffic away from the coast: Charleston to Columbia: A full four-lane reversal on I-26 in Charleston will begin at the interchange of I-26 and I-526. The full reversal continues west until the I-26 crossover to I-77 just outside Columbia in Lexington County. Horry County: Horry County has two four-lane reversals along US 501: SC 544 to US 378; and US 501: Between SC 22 (Conway Bypass) to SC 576 near Marion County. For the Beaufort and Hilton Head area, we will poise and be ready to reverse US 278 and US 21 if traffic conditions warrant. South Carolina’s emergency helpline is now active around the clock. Anyone with questions related to Hurricane Florence should call the Public Information Phone System at 1-866-246-0133.<doc-sep>At 5 p.m. Monday, Hurricane Florence had top winds of 140 mph. The storm is about 1,170 miles south-southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina. Florence is moving west-northwest at 13 mph and it expected to reach the SC-NC coast late Thursday. More than 1 million South Carolina residents and tourists are expected to flee from coastal areas as powerful Hurricane Florence approaches, Gov. Henry McMaster said Monday. New:Governor lifts mandatory evacuations of southern coastal counties Live coverage:Mass evacuation begins ahead of Hurricane Florence McMaster has ordered mandatory evacuations starting at noon Tuesday in parts of almost every city and town in eight coastal counties. Those counties are Horry, Georgetown, Charleston, Dorchester, Berkeley, Colleton, Beaufort and Jasper. More:Why South Carolina has 'gotten much better' at evacuations "This is a very dangerous hurricane," McMaster said during a news conference at the state's emergency operations center in West Columbia. The governor said that while the evacuation may be inconvenient, he and other state officials "are not going to gamble with the lives of the people of South Carolina." To facilitate the widespread evacuation, traffic on all lanes of Interstate 26 between Charleston and Columbia will be directed away from the coast through a process known as lane-reversal. A similar traffic pattern will be used on two sections of U.S. 501 in Myrtle Beach. Officials will be prepared to implement the same procedure on U.S. 278 and U.S. 21 in the Beaufort and Hilton Head area if necessary. McMaster said schools and county offices in 26 of the state's 46 counties will be closed starting Tuesday. A total of 177 health-care facilities, including 19 hospitals, also are being evacuated. At the same time, evacuation shelters will open. Anderson County's Emergency Management officials are preparing for the storm and have moved to a more intense readiness, an indication they are readying for a potential emergency or disaster. Florence is a Category 4 hurricane with top winds of 140 mph, according to an early evening update Monday from the National Hurricane Center. The storm intensified rapidly on Monday morning and more strengthening is expected. Forecasters say it could be close to Category 5 strength on Tuesday with top winds of 155 mph. The storm is about 1,170 miles east-southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina. Florence is currently headed west-northwest at 13 mph on a track that is expected to bring it near the border of South Carolina and North Carolina late Thursday. HURRICANE FLORENCE As it approaches the coast, "the bottom line is that there is high confidence that Florence will be a large and extremely dangerous hurricane, regardless of its exact intensity," the National Hurricane Center said. In North Carolina, officials ordered the evacuation of Hatteras Island on Monday. Residents and visitors in popular tourist spots such as Duck and Corolla faced a Tuesday deadline. More:Hurricane Florence strengthens to potentially 'catastrophic' Category 4 storm Forecasters say the key threats associated with Florence are damaging winds, a large storm surge in coastal areas and inland flooding. John Quagliariello of the National Weather Service in Columbia said Florence could be the first Category 4 hurricane to hit South Carolina since Hurricane Hugo slammed into Charleston in September 1989. McMaster said state officials are "expecting more wind than we had with Hugo and more water than we had with (Hurricane) Matthew," which made landfall near McClellanville on Oct. 8, 2016. "We're in for a real episode here," he said. Quagliariello said much of the state, including areas well inland, will be at risk of destructive winds from Florence. Those winds will probably start being felt along the coast by Thursday morning. "Once Florence moves inland, it is expected to weaken and move very slowly, resulting in a prolonged and exceptionally heavy rainfall event," he said. "This could result in significant river-flooding across portions of the state into next week." Several state agencies are preparing for Florence. State Adjutant General Robert Livingston said 1,600 National Guardsmen are now on duty and that number may increase to more than 3,000 by Wednesday. Another 3,000 state Department of Transportation workers also are ready to respond to the storm. State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel said 444 state law enforcement officers have been deployed to coastal areas. Part of their mission will be protecting property in the evacuation zones. Owners and operators of reservoirs statewide should check their dams and take appropriate steps to safely lower the water levels today and through the next several days in preparation for potential problems caused by heavy rainfall from Hurricane Florence, according to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. Anderson County officials have notified Broadway Lake residents to prepare for a possible lowering of the lake later this week, depending on the forecast for Florence. Greenville County schools have canceled or rescheduled all field trips that would take students, staff and athletes toward the coast through the weekend. All classes at Charleston Southern University ended at 2 p.m. Monday and campus offices were set to close at 4 p.m. All students are being urged to evacuate the campus as soon as possible. The University of South Carolina will close on Tuesday afternoon. Follow Kirk Brown on Twitter @KirkBrown_AIM and email him at kirk.brown@independentmail.com<doc-sep>The governor of South Carolina is ordering the evacuation of every resident who lives along the state's 187-mile coastline — a directive that comes as Hurricane Florence barrels toward the East Coast. Gov. Henry McMaster (R) issued a statement on Monday ordering all evacuations begin no later than noon on Tuesday. ADVERTISEMENT McMaster later confirmed the statement in a press conference, saying that the state would take the necessary steps to keep residents safe. JUST IN: South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster orders mandatory evacuation of all people in evacuation zones ahead of Hurricane Florence. Order goes into effect at noon on Tuesday. https://t.co/021hNnhqS8 pic.twitter.com/AKbTHNffcS — ABC News (@ABC) September 10, 2018 "This may be inconvenient," McMaster said. “This is a very dangerous hurricane. But we are not going to gamble with the lives of the people of South Carolina." Evacuations are expected to cover regions that are inland as well. It added that schools will be closed in order to be used as emergency shelters. The hurricane reached Category 4 strength on Monday morning with 130 mph winds, according to multiple reports. Forecasts have predicted that the hurricane will make landfall near Wilmington, N.C., on Friday. Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) has asked President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE for an expedited emergency declaration for the state ahead of Florence's expected landing. "This declaration would allow much-needed federal resources to be mobilized to assist in North Carolina's preparation for Hurricane Florence," Jones wrote. Updated at 3:25 p.m.<doc-sep>
McMaster announced the plans Monday afternoon at the state's emergency operations center. Columbia, SC (WLTX) - South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has issued mandatory evacuations for all of South Carolina's coast, which he says means more than a million people will have to leave their homes. He also said that many school districts including in the Midlands will be shut down because of the threat of the dangerous and powerful Hurricane Florence. McMaster announced the plans Monday afternoon at the state's emergency operations center. Florence is currently a Category 4, which is a 'major hurricane' capable of catastrophic damage. Evacuation Areas: Northern South Carolina Coast (All Zones) • Horry County Evacuation Zones A, B, C • Georgetown County Evacuation Zones A, B, C Central South Carolina Coast (All Zones) • Charleston County Evacuation Zones A, B, C • Dorchester County Evacuation Zones D, E, F • Berkeley County Evacuation Zones B, G, H, I Southern Coast (All Zones) • Colleton County Evacuation Zones A, B • Beaufort County Evacuation Zone A • Jasper County Evacuation Zones A, B The following roads will be reversed: Interstate 26 from Charleston to Columbia - Beginning at 12 p.m. Tuesday. A full four-lane reversal on I-26 in Charleston will begin at the interchange of I-26 and I-526. The full reversal continues west until the I-26 crossover to I-77 just outside Columbia in Lexington County. Highway 501 in Myrtle Beach - Beginning at 12 p.m. Tuesday. Horry County has two four-lane reversals along US 501: SC 544 to US 378; and US 501: Between SC 22 (Conway Bypass) to SC 576 near Marion County. Highway 278 and Highway 21 in Beaufort County - Ready to begin reversing at that time. Will give the order Tuesday, if needed. Schools closures: These school systems will be closed starting Tuesday: Aiken Allendale Bamberg Beaufort, Barnwell Berkeley Calhoun Charleston Colleton Clarendon Darlington Dillon Dorchester Florence Georgetown Hampton Horry Jasper Lexington Lee Marion Marlboro Orangeburg Richland Sumter Williamsburg State Government Offices Closed: All state offices in the same counties where schools are closed will also have state offices closed. Full Closings List: To see all of the closes that News19 has received, go to the WLTX closings page. SC Emergency Hotline: 1-866-246-0133 That's for anyone with questions related to Hurricane Florence. Federal Disaster Emergency Declaration Request McMaster said he's already submitted a request to President Donald Trump to issue a federal emergency declaration, which would allow in advance for federal money to be released to cover the state's expenses for manpower and cleanup. Kim Stenson, the director of the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, says a FEMA coordinating officer will be in the state Monday to help as needed. On Saturday, McMaster issued an executive order declaring a "state of emergency" in South Carolina. Stay Informed/Stay Connected The best thing to do is make sure you're staying informed. You may want to review your hurricane plan, and check up on any of your supplies that you might need, such as batteries and flashlights. Keep up to date by reading the forecast articles here on our website or app, and we'll of course have regular updates in all of our newscasts.