When a storm threatens, the ability to pivot matters. Roads fill quickly, and conditions can deteriorate well before landfall—making timing everything. Meteorologist Leslie Hudson has more in this YouTube short.
Always follow evacuation orders from local authorities — don’t wait for a hurricane to intensify before deciding to follow the order.
It’s Hurricane Preparedness Month! With hurricane season just weeks away, now is the time to review the potential risks to your home or business. Knowing the hazards your community could face is the first step to being prepared.#HurricanePrep #SCPrepared #emergencypreps pic.twitter.com/5awF0tnUVZ
— SC Emergency Management Division (@SCEMD) May 5, 2026
You want to leave early enough to avoid being trapped by severe weather. If time allows, unplug electrical equipment, leave a note detailing your whereabouts, and check to see if any neighbors need a ride.
- FLASH: Find Your Evacuation Zone
In a hurricane, deadly hazards can occur well outside of the cone. Impacts can be felt far from the storm's center, even well inland and outside the forecast cone. The cone does NOT represent the size of the storm in any way. An example below is Hurricane Irma, which had a wind… pic.twitter.com/WCIXAdpH2K
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) May 5, 2026 - Ready.gov: Evacuation
Tomorrow, we shift from planning ahead to riding it out—how to stay protected when the storm is no longer coming… but here.