Charleston County holding free hurricane prep classes this week

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Charleston County is marking National Hurricane Preparedness Week by holding classes to help residents prepare for tropical weather threats.

Charleston County Emergency Management staff will be offering free hurricane prep classes at the following Library branches:

• Tuesday at 6 p.m.: St. Paul’s Hollywood Library
• Thursday at 2 p.m.: Otranto Road Library
• Saturday at 10 a.m.: Wando Mt. Pleasant Library

“The last two hurricane seasons have been quiet for Charleston County, which can cause citizens to become complacent. Our department has been busy preparing for the upcoming hurricane season for several months,” Charleston County Emergency Management Director Joe Coates said. “We ask that our residents follow our example by making sure that their families are prepared for a potential storm. We’ve also seen a lot of new people moving to the area, many who have never experienced a hurricane before.”

Coates says now is the time to build an emergency kit and make family plans to be prepared if a storm were to threaten the South Carolina coast.

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READ MORE: Here’s a stock-up checklist for your Hurricane Survival Kit

Charleston County’s Emergency Management Department offers these tips to prepare before a storm:

• Check flood insurance and know your insurance policy.
• Strengthen your home.
• Develop an emergency communications plan.
• Build your emergency kit.

READ MORE: Forecasters predict above-average hurricane season

The Tropical Meteorology Project team at Colorado State University released its Atlantic basin hurricane forecast in early April. The forecast predicted an above-average hurricane season with 19 named storms, five more than normal. Nine of those are expected to become hurricanes and four of those are predicted to become major hurricanes, which means category three or stronger.

Scientists say the increased activity is largely due to the natural phenomenon known as La Niña, which creates colder than average ocean temperatures at the equator that inhibit winds that prevent hurricanes from forming, making them more likely to develop.

National Hurricane Preparedness Week began on Sunday and continues through this Saturday. Hurricane Season begins June 1 and runs through Nov. 30.

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