South Carolina passes Dorian storm surge

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) – A large digital screen along a highway leading to Charleston, South Carolina, issued a stern warning to residents on Wednesday: "HURRICANE DORIAN, LEAVE NOW."

A large number of people had already taken this warning into account, as could be seen in the service stations on the outskirts of the city.

At one o'clock, drivers calmly lined up for snacks and gasoline before their trip inland.

"We've had a lot of storms like Dorian over the years, but we've decided not to take chances. We will stay with our family away from the coast, "said George Wilson, 42. buy candy and chocolate for her children.

But while tens of thousands of residents had decided to evacuate, many others in Charleston were choosing to weather the storm.

Dorian devastated parts of the Bahamas and killed at least seven people, and the scale of the damage was still on the agenda on Wednesday.

The wind speed of the storm decreased Tuesday to a Category 2 storm on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale. He maintained this level on Wednesday, but forecasters warned that it was still dangerous.

South Carolina officials announced that they were expecting storm surges of 1.2 to 2.4 meters and wind gusts of 145 km / h on Thursday, and asked for the population to evacuate the coast as Dorian gets closer.

Business owners and residents were busy getting into the shops Wednesday in Charleston's historic district, but said they were used to doing so because hurricanes have become so common here.

"This has become an annual ritual for us," said Micah Elliott, co-founder of Charleston Built, which has hosted about 15 homes and businesses for clients.

Elliot helped Kevin Leprince, a local artist of 48, to get into his art gallery in the historic district. Leprince said his gallery should be protected from storm surge, but he worried that the floods caused by the expected heavy rain could damage his works.

Closer to the waterfront, Mark Huske placed sandbags along the windows of an architect's office. Huske said that if the storm surge struck as expected, the office would be inundated.

"It's very complicated here," he said. "Honestly, I do not know why anyone would buy a house here. It is almost guaranteed to flood. "

"SEEN MUCH GREATER THAN THIS"

A crowd of tourists and local residents strolled along the Charleston waterfront, insensitive to intermittent rain, taking photographs and applauding the dolphins that surfaced in the Ashley River.

Danny Davis and his wife Octavia, under a large umbrella, enjoyed the waterfront view and said that, apart from buying water and extra supplies, they had made little important preparations for Dorian.

"We saw a lot bigger than that. Dorian will not have anything special, "said Danny Davis.

Charleston has been damaged by several storms over the years, including the floods caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016, as well as by the violent assaults caused by Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

The owners of Ink & Ivy, a bar in the historic district, have decided to stay open throughout Dorian. The bar was busy Wednesday afternoon and bartender Gregory Wilder, 41, said he was expecting a good crowd for the evening.

"We will stay here and party, no matter what happens," he said. "Unless the power is off."

City of Charleston spokesman Jack O'Toole said the city now faces "a triple threat: wind, storm surges and floods."

"It may be too late to evacuate people," O'Toole said. "Our message to the residents is now to close the hatches and prepare for the worst."