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Berkeley County Opening Emergency Shelters Ahead of Debby

by Nikki Gaskins Campbell
As of 8:00 PM EDT Mon Aug 5 the center of Debby was located near 30.7, -82.4 with movement NE at 6 mph. The minimum central pressure was 996 mb with maximum sustained winds of about 45 mph. (CREDIT: National Weather Service)

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – As Hurricane Debby approaches South Carolina, Berkeley County and Red Cross opened two emergency storm shelters at 6 p.m., Monday August 5, 2024. Cots, food, and water will be provided.

SHELTERS: General population shelters will open at Berkeley High School, located at 406 W. Main Street in Moncks Corner, and Macedonia Middle School, located at 200 Macedonia Foxes Circle in Moncks Corner. Pets will NOT be allowed at these shelters.

  • Medical needs: If you or a loved one needs to utilize a medical needs shelter, please call the SC Department of Public Health’s Careline at 855-472-3432. This line will be open until 8 p.m. Monday, August 5.

Bus transportation to shelters will begin Tuesday, August 6 at 9 a.m. Operations will run 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily unless conditions change. See pickup locations below:

  • Hanahan High School – 6015 Murray Drive, Hanahan
  • Pine Ridge Fire Department Station 2 – 1046 Jedburg Road, Summerville
  • Cainhoy Fire Department – 1004 United Drive, Huger
  • Cross High School – 1293 Old Hwy. 6, Cross

CLOSURES: All County facilities except Family Court will be OPEN and operating by normal hours on Tuesday, August 6. Berkeley County facilities will be CLOSED Wednesday, August 7. This includes County Government offices, Courthouse, the Landfill, Convenience Centers, Library branches, Cypress Gardens, and Berkeley Animal Center. All County facilities will REOPEN and operate by normal hours on Thursday, August 8. Please monitor the County Facebook page for updates to this information.

During a special-called Council meeting on Monday, Berkeley County Council passed a State of Emergency declaration ahead of the storm. Berkeley County Emergency Management officials continue to monitor the storm and prepare for impacts.

Governor Henry McMaster also declared a State of Emergency. Debby is expected to be a heavy rain event for Berkeley County, including historic flooding throughout the week. The heaviest of rainfall is expected to occur Wednesday and Thursday. Follow all weather updates HERE.

OPERATING CONDITIONS: The County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is currently at OPCON 2 status but will move to OPCON 1, full EOC activation, at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. OPCON 1 means a disaster or emergency is imminent or occurring.

CITIZEN CALL LINE: The Citizen Call Line (843-719-4800) is currently operational 24/7 for non-emergency calls ONLY. Callers will hear an automated response with Berkeley County storm prep information. **For all emergency calls, please call 911.**

SANDBAGS: Berkeley County Roads and Bridges has sand available at various locations listed below. Sand is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The sites are self-serve.

  • North Berkeley Fire Station 1 – 124 Hood Street, St. Stephen
  • North Berkeley Fire Station 2 – 420 Municipal Lane, Bonneau
  • Goose Creek City Public Works – 200 Button Hall Avenue, Goose Creek
  • Goose Creek Rural Fire Department – 907 Red Bank Road, Goose Creek 
  • Cainhoy Rural Vol. Fire Department Station 6 – 1004 United Drive, Huger
  • Cainhoy Rural Vol. Fire Dept. Station 3 – 2451 Clements Ferry Road, Huger (Wando)
  • City of Hanahan Rec. Complex – 3000 Railroad Avenue, Hanahan
  • Central Berkeley Fire & EMS Cross Station 1 – 1007 Short Cut Road, Cross
  • C&B Fire Station 1 – 509 Royal Road, Ladson
  • Cordesville Rural Vol. Fire Dept Station 1 – 1931 SC-402, Moncks Corner
  • Pimlico Rural Vol. Fire Dept – 1607 Pimlico Blvd., Moncks Corner
  • Whitesville Rural Vol. Fire Dept Station 3 – 115 Sunview Lane, Moncks Corner
  • Moncks Corner Fire Dept. headquarters – 116 Carolina Avenue, Moncks Corner
  • Eadytown Rural Vol. Fire Dept. – 1241 Edgewater Road, Pineville
  • Richardson Boat Landing – 400 Hilltop Drive, Bonneau Beach
  • Shulerville-Honey Hill Rural Volunteer Fire Department – 1037 Fortview Road, Jamestown

POWER OUTAGES: In the event of a power outage in the coming days, please do not call 911. Please report outages to the appropriate utility provider below:

Find a list of contacts for utilities and other services providers in Berkeley County HERE.

REPORTING STORM DAMAGE: If your residence or business sustains storm damage in the coming days, please report it HERE. Those without Internet access can report storm damage by calling the Citizen Call Line at 843-719-4800 and leaving a detailed voicemail. Reporting storm damage will help Berkeley County staff gauge the extent of damage in the County and report the findings to state and federal officials. These reports will determine appropriate federal and state funding for damage caused by the storm.

For all storm-related information, view the Berkeley County Hurricane Guide in English, Spanish, or Portuguese.

For the latest County news and storm updates, follow Berkeley County Government on Facebook and at www.berkeleycountysc.gov. Also, sign-up HERE to receive alerts through our County’s Emergency Notification System.
Nikki Gaskins Campbell
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