Remembering Hugo - 30 Years Later

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Remembering Hugo - 2019 Hurricane Guide

SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 2019

THE SUMTER ITEM

Remembering

Hugo 30 Years Later

Memories remain vivid for Sumterites

By Ivy Moore Special to The Sumter Item Thirty years ago in mid-October, a group of friends and neighbors sat on a front porch in the heart of Sumter watching a lineman repair the final connections that would restore power to the area. It had seemed like a much longer wait than the nearly three weeks they had lived without lights and hot water after Hurricane Hugo hit the area on Sept. 22, 1989, devastating Sumter and its surroundings.

As the power came on, they lifted a glass of warm white wine and toasted the lineman in gratitude.

Today, the memories of Hugo are still vivid to residents who experienced its wrath. The category 4 storm had hit Sumter with wind speeds up to 110 miles per hour.

Thanks largely to advance preparation, injuries were kept to a minimum, and only one person died in the storm.

Emergency responders, Shaw Air Force Base personnel, what was then Tuomey Regional Medical Center and state employees, subject to being called in for emergency duty, were ready, but the amount

of devastation was still far beyond what a city 100 miles from the coast expected. Hugo was the most powerful storm to hit South Carolina in the 20th century.

It hit after dark, and after a few hours, the only sounds to be heard were those created by the monstrous storm – howling winds, thrashing trees, unseen objects crashing into buildings and cars, the thud of huge trees hitting the ground.

While residents huddled together in their dark homes or emergency shelters, Sumter’s leaders and volunteers, led by then Sumter County Civil Defense Director Vic Jones, occupied the Sumter County Courthouse; before the storm hit, Jones had exhorted residents to “be patient … look around them, find someone who’s worse off and help that person.” The crew took calls from around the county – people with no power, roofs blown off, power lines down, some hunkered down under tables or in bathtubs, as well as those just scared of what they couldn’t see in the total darkness of the storm.

When the storm cleared the area, the sheer destruction

it left behind was almost as frightening as Hugo itself.

Roadways were blocked with fallen trees, debris from homes and other structures found far from their place of origin.

Traci Quinn, then city editor for The Sumter Item and a volunteer at the courthouse who is now the communications director at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital, noted at the time that she had “… terrific memories of the teamwork that existed in the recovery effort,” not just among those with government and aid agencies but also among the city’s residents.

“Everyone came together in a spirit of community,” she said.

Many Sumterites had no recourse but to bury their pride and accept food, water and the hospitality of friends and neighbors. The Sunday, Sept.

24, Item was filled with Hugo news under the banner headline “We’re down, but not out.”

A curfew was imposed, and National Guardsmen carried rifles because of looting, residents were urged to be patient, Sumter damage was estimated at $95 million, and officials couldn’t even estimate when water and power would be restored.

In the days, weeks and months after Hugo, Sumterites saw a different Sumter, with neighbors actively reaching out to help others.

Even now, with the passage of three decades, there are still remnants of Hurricane Hugo’s damage. Canopies of trees that once shaded areas in the city are thinner now, and only those who were here in September 1989 see the vacant lots, still standing damaged homes and other effects, and they can tell you what businesses or homes now stand where others once thrived.

Now, when powerful hurricanes near our coast, the memories of Hugo fill many with fear and foreboding. We fill our cabinets and closets with bottled water and nonperishable foods, extra pet food, flashlight batteries and crank or battery-powered radios. We have cellphones now and spare chargers to maintain communication with loved ones. We check on our neighbors and extended family.

And we ask ourselves, “Are we ready for another Hugo?,” and many pray for safe passage of the storm out to sea.

Hurricane Hugo by the numbers

7 days

Number of days it took Hugo to become a Category 5 hurricane

Total deaths across U.S. (21), Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (5) and Caribbean (24)

50

4

Category Hurricane Hugo was classified as when it struck the South Carolina coast

140 mph 30 miles 18-20 feet Wind speed reached during the storm

Diameter of Hurricane Hugo’s eye

60,000

270,000 54,000

People in the state left homeless

People temporarily unemployed

State residents seeking disaster assistance

1 death in the tricounty area

Estimated storm surge

$13.5 billion Damage estimate after accounting for inflation

Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Hurricane Center and The Associated Press

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SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 2019

Remembering Hugo - 2019 Hurricane Guide

THE SUMTER ITEM

Stay safe when using a generator The following information was developed by the American Red Cross with technical advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Fire Protection Association (publisher of the National Electric CodeÂŽ) and the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Using a generator at home The primary hazards to avoid when using a generator are carbon monoxide poisoning from the toxic engine exhaust, fire and electric shock or electrocution.

Follow the directions supplied with the generator. • To avoid electrocution, keep the generator dry and do not use in rain or wet conditions. Operate it on a dry surface under an open canopy-like structure, such as under a tarp held up on poles. Do not touch the generator with wet hands. • Be sure to turn the generator off and let it cool down before refueling. Gasoline spilled on hot engine parts could ignite. • Store fuel for the generator in an approved safety can. Use the type of fuel recommended in the instructions or on the label on the generator.

Local laws may restrict the amount of fuel you may store, or the storage location. Ask your local fire department. • Store the fuel outside of living areas in a locked shed or other protected area. To guard against accidental fire, do not store it near a fuel-burning appliance, such as a natural gas water heater in a garage. • Plug appliances directly into the generator, or use a heavy duty, outdoor-rated extension cord that is rated (in watts or amps) at least equal to the sum of the connected appliance loads.

Check that the entire cord is free of cuts or tears and that the plug has all three prongs, especially a grounding pin. • Never try to power the house wiring by plugging the generator into a wall outlet. Known as “backfeeding,â€? this practice puts utility workers, your neighbors and your household at risk of electrocution. Remember, even a properly connected portable generator can become overloaded, resulting in overheating or generator failure. Be sure to read the instructions.

If necessary, stagger the operating times for various equipment to prevent overloads.

Prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning • Never use a generator, grill, camp stove or other gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal-burning devices inside a home, garage, basement, crawlspace or any partially enclosed area. • Keep these devices outdoors, away from doors, windows and vents that could allow carbon monoxide to come indoors. • Opening doors and windows or using fans will not prevent CO buildup in the home. Although CO can’t be seen or smelled, it can rapidly lead to full incapacitation and death. Even if you cannot smell exhaust fumes, you may still be exposed to CO. If you start to feel sick, dizzy, or weak while using a generator, get to fresh air RIGHT AWAY - DO NOT DELAY. • Install CO alarms in central locations on every level of your home and outside sleeping areas to provide early warning of accumulating carbon monoxide.

Test the batteries frequently and replace when needed. • If the carbon monoxide alarm sounds, move quickly to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door. Call for help from the fresh air location and remain there until emergency personnel arrive to assist you.

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Food safety is extremely important during and after a weather emergency FROM THE USDA FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE When bad weather is possible, don’t forget to prepare already purchased food: • Keep an appliance thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer. An appliance thermometer will indicate the temperature in the refrigerator and freezer in case of a power outage and help determine the safety of the food. • Make sure the freezer is at 0 °F below and the refrigerator is at 40 °F or below. • Freeze containers of water for ice to help keep food cold in the freezer, refrigerator, or coolers after the power is out. • Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately — this helps keep them at a safe temperature longer. • Plan ahead and know where dry ice and block ice can be purchased. • Store food on shelves that will be safely out of the way of contaminated water in case of flooding. • Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerator food cold if the power will be out for more than four hours. Purchase or make ice cubes and store in the freezer for use in the refrigerator or in a cooler.

Freeze gel packs ahead of time for use in coolers. • Group food together in the freezer — this helps the food stay cold longer.

STEPS TO FOLLOW DURING AND AFTER THE WEATHER EMERGENCY: • Never taste a food to determine its safety. • Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. • The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about four hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full and the door remains closed). • Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below. • Obtain block ice or dry ice to keep your refrigerator and freezer as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic-foot full freezer for two days. • If the power has been out for several days, then check the temperature of the freezer with an appliance thermometer or food thermometer. If the food still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below, the food is safe. • If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, then check each package of food to determine its safety. If the food still contains ice crystals, the food is safe. • Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers and deli items after four hours without power.

When in doubt, throw it out.

IF FLOODING OCCURS, KNOW WHAT TO KEEP OR DISCARD • Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with flood water. • Discard any food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come into contact with flood water. Food containers that are not waterproof include those with screw-caps,

snap lids, pull tops and crimped caps.

Also, discard cardboard juice/milk/baby formula boxes and home canned foods if they have come in contact with flood water, because they cannot be effectively cleaned and sanitized. • Inspect canned foods and discard any food in damaged cans. Can damage is shown by swelling, leakage, punctures, holes, fractures, extensive deep rusting, or crushing/denting severe enough to prevent normal stacking or opening with a manual, wheel-type can opener. • Thoroughly wash metal pans, ceramic dishes and utensils (including can openers) with soap and water, using hot water if available. Rinse and then sanitize them by boiling in clean water or immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water (or the cleanest, clearest water available). • Thoroughly wash countertops with soap and water, using hot water if available. Rinse and then sanitize them by applying a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water (or the cleanest, clearest water available). Allow to airdry.

SAFETY OF DRINKING WATER IF FLOODING OCCURS • Use bottled water that has not been exposed to flood waters if it is available. • If you don’t have bottled water, you should boil water to make it safe.

Boiling water will kill most types of disease-causing organisms that may be present. If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle, and draw off the clear water for boiling. Boil the water for one minute, let it cool, and store it in clean containers with covers. • If you can’t boil water, you can disinfect it using household bleach. Bleach will kill some, but not all, types of disease-causing organisms that may be in the water. If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle, and draw off the clear water for disinfection. Add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water, stir it well and let it stand for 30 minutes before you use it. Store disinfected water in clean containers with covers. • If you have a well that has been flooded, the water should be tested and disinfected after flood waters recede.

If you suspect that your well may be contaminated, contact your local or State health department or agriculture extension agent for specific advice.

FOOD SAFETY CONTACTS Consumers with food safety questions can phone the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1888-674-6854); TTY, 1-800-256-7072. The hotline is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. Consumers can also ask safe food handling questions by logging on to FSIS’ online automated response system called “Ask Karen,� on the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s Website: www.fsis.usda.gov E-mail inquiries can be directed to MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov.

Additional information about USDA’s food safety efforts can be accessed on the FSIS Website at www.fsis.usda.gov.

THE SUMTER ITEM

Remembering Hugo - 2019 Hurricane Guide

SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 2019

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Prepare your Getting ready for yard before a hurricane season: hurricane hits 4 essential reads FROM CLEMSON UNIVERSITY The 2019 Atlantic hurricane season has begun and Clemson horticulture agents have a few tips for South Carolina gardeners and homeowners to use to protect their landscapes from the havoc of wind and flooding.

Chris Burtt, a Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service horticulture agent in Charleston, said trees are the main plants to watch.

“Dead or diseased limbs or trees become safety issues when severe weather hits an area,” Burtt said.

“Limbs can become detached from a tree and can cause damage or harm to people, as well as property.

Diseased trees also can fall or break.”

To keep trees from becoming hazards during storms, they should be properly planted and maintained. Trees also should be inspected for defects at least twice a year.

“Property owners need to look for defects that could allow strong winds to cause branch or trunk failures,” said Bob Polomski, Clemson Extension horticulturist. “Trees with defects should be removed by the property owner rather than by the storm. People need to pay particular attention to mature trees, as the risk of wind-induced failure increases with age.

Also, trees planted in groups tend to tolerate strong winds better than individual trees.”

No tree is wind-proof and factors such as soil condition, wind intensity, tree health, tree architecture and age all factor into wind resistance. Well-pruned trees survive hurricanes better than poorly pruned or unpruned trees. Ideally, “pruning for strength” should begin when trees are young. This “structural pruning” strategy focuses on establishing a limb framework that offers the strongest possible wind resistance.

Topping or “hat-racking” makes trees susceptible to wind failure.

For property owners who are not confident inspecting trees themselves, Polomski recommends reaching out to a certified arborist credentialed by the International Society of Arboriculure by visiting www. isa-arbor.com.

If a storm causes flooding, Gary Forrester, Clemson Extension environmental horticulturist and Master Gardener coordinator for Horry County, advises people to exercise patience and not rush out to repair their landscapes.

“The first thing to remember is allow the landscape to dry,” Forrester said. “If homeowners begin working soil while it is still wet, they can do further damage to the soil structure, especially soils high in clay content.”

“Use an air spade or vertical mulching to circulate air throughout the root system,” Forrester said. “Do not perform any remedial pruning until you are sure the limbs you are removing are dead. It may be better to wait until spring to see where new growth emerges and then prune out dead material.”

When replacing trees, Forrester said to keep in mind plant species that have been found to survive floods, including red maple, red buckeye, river birch, American hornbeam, hickory, ash, loblolly bay, holly, sweetgum, sweetbay magnolia, wax myrtle, tupelo, various oak species, weeping willow, pond cypress and elm.

Forrester said the degree to which plants are damaged following a flood depends on several factors, including the amount of water and time plants were covered, the species of plants and soil texture. Plants can be affected by contaminants in floodwater, such as petroleum products, raw sewage or pesticides.

If plants have been covered by water for an extended time, several things can happen: yellowing or brown leaves, leaf curling, wilting, reduced leaf size, early leaf drop and defoliation with gradual decline and death of the plant. These symptoms and stresses can occur even when plants have not been covered by water but have been sitting in saturated soils for an extended period of time.

“Soils that have been flooded for an extended period will be severely compromised,” Forrester said.

“The soil biology will need to be restored and enhanced.”

If soil smells rotten or has a sulfur, rotten egg smell, microbes that live in oxygen-free environments are prevalent. The soil will need to dried and aerated.

Adding soil conditioners or biological enhancers will help restore soil health. For information on Aerating Lawns, read Clemson’s Home and Garden Information Fact Sheet 1200.

Vegetable gardens covered with floodwaters should be completely renovated. Produce should be disposed of, especially vegetables with soft skins that are eaten whole. To avoid flooding problems in the future, vegetable beds can be built on raised beds, high enough to prevent floodwaters from covering them.

Homeowners can visit Clemson’s Home and Garden Information Center for detailed fact sheets on how to prune trees and plants and care for their landscapes.

Additional emergency preparedness and post-hurricane impact resources can also be found at https:// www.clemson.edu/public/emergency/hurricane/.

By Jennifer Weeks The Conversation The official Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1, even as many communities are still recovering from a destructive year in 2018. Hurricane Florence swamped much of the Carolinas in September, followed by Hurricane Michael, which battered the Florida Panhandle less than a month later. Together, these two storms killed at least 113 people and caused billions of dollars in damages.

Early forecasts for 2019 have predicted a slightly below-normal season, with 13 named storms expected to form and two of them developing into major hurricanes. But, as the forecasters warn, it only takes one storm making landfall to make it an active season for people in harm’s way. Here are four things to know to help prepare you for whatever the 2019 hurricane season brings.

1. How forecasters make predictions We rely on expert forecasters to tell us how strong hurricanes will be, the odds that they will make landfall and where they’re most likely to come ashore. But, how do stormcasters develop judgments from enormous quantities of data?

As Florida State University meteorologists Mark Bourassa and Vasu Misra explain, models – complex software packages that run on large computers – are essential. But models’ results don’t always agree with each other. That’s why forecasters use collections of storm models instead of just one. And they may tweak certain assumptions built into the models to account for uncertainty about conditions in a particular storm.

Storm track forecasts have become much more accurate in recent decades, but predictions of storm intensity have changed little. That’s because it’s hard to capture all the variables that determine storm intensity. “Models are inexact in their descriptions of the entire state of the atmosphere and ocean at the start time of the model,” Bourassa and Misra acknowledge – a point worth remembering if a storm heads in your direction.

2. Should I stay or should I go?

If a hurricane is approaching, should you leave? It’s a complicated question, especially when evacuations are recommended but not mandatory. Residents have to weigh the economic and emotional costs of relocating against damage forecasts that may be changing hourly.

Government officials feel the pressure when they have to decide whether to order people out of town. University of South Carolina geographer Susan Cutter calls these decisions “part science, part skill based on experience, and part luck.”

Constituents may be angry if they evacuate and the storm misses their area – but leaving people in harm’s way is clearly a worse prospect.

Planners base evacuation decisions on many factors beyond storm forecasts, Cutter writes. They also consider road networks, demographics, and whether and how quickly residents are likely to follow orders. “It is hard to predict the path of hurricanes, and even more so the behavior of people in response to them,” she notes.

3. The risks extend inland A hurricane is bearing down on the Atlantic or Gulf coast, but you’re on vacation in the mountains. Should you track the forecasts?

Louisiana State University geographer Craig Colten’s response is an emphatic yes. As Colten has found in his research on water in the U.S. South, the risk of catastrophic flooding during and after hurricanes extends many miles inland.

However, communities away from the shore often are not as well prepared for these emergencies.

Geography makes the U.S. eastern seaboard highly vulnerable to river flooding from tropical storms, Colten shows: “From New England to Georgia, a dense network of rivers flows down from the eastern Appalachians across the Piedmont – a broad, rolling plateau extending from the mountains to the coastal plain – and drains into the Atlantic Ocean. Steep gradients move water quickly down the mountain slopes.”

“When hurricanes and tropical storms move inland, they meet the steep face of the Blue Ridge Mountains and rise, cooling and releasing huge quantities of rain. These deluges “funnel into river networks and rush toward the sea, often spilling over the banks of overwhelmed channels.”

This pattern was readily apparent in September 2018 when Hurricane Florence dumped 20 to 30 inches of rain on many parts of North Carolina, setting flood records at 28 different locations.

4. Your social networks can help or hurt you Social media can be extremely helpful during a disaster. Apps deliver weather updates, public service announcements and directions to the nearest gas station that still has fuel. People can use Facebook or Twitter to call for help when they’re cut off from roads or lose power, and emergency managers use them to organize and deliver food and medical supplies.

But when Northeastern University political scientist Daniel Aldrich analyzed how people’s social networks of friends and relatives influenced choices about evacuating, he found more nuanced results. People with extended, far-flung social networks were more likely to evacuate in advance of an oncoming storm, Aldrich observed: “In contrast, we found that having stronger bonding ties — that is, family and friends — made people less likely to evacuate leading up to a hurricane. In our view, this is a critical insight. People whose immediate, close networks are strong may feel supported and better-prepared to weather the storm.”

Strong networks are invaluable for anyone weathering the stress of a major disaster. However, Aldrich’s research suggests that a person who sees others in her immediate, close network staying in place may opt not to evacuate, when heeding warnings from public officials would be a better, albeit less natural, choice.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 2019

Remembering Hugo - 2019 Hurricane Guide

THE SUMTER ITEM

ARE YOU READY? CHECK OFF YOUR STORM PREP LIST

Stock up on non-perishable food, water, medicine, baby and pet supplies Buy a battery-operated radio, ashlights, fans and extra batteries Have extra cash on hand — ATMs might be down and banks might be closed Keep your gas tank full Help family and friends with a plan if they rely on electronic medical equipment Know how to safely use your generator Sign in to your online account at DominionEnergySC.com and update your contact information for easier outage reporting

Follow us on and and bookmark the interactive power outage map on your desktop or mobile device at DominionEnergySC.com to report and track outages in your area. You can also register for text-outage reporting at DominionEnergySC.com/text.

For more tips, visit DominionEnergySC.com/storm.