Town of James Island Emergency Declaration
Hurricane Idalia Update #4: August 31, 2023
The Town of James Island has moved back to OPCON 3 and is open for regular business as of this morning. Public Works staff continue to canvas the area for damage and flooding. Overall, the Town had a small number of power outages which are due to be restored later today, and a few reports of flooding around low-lying areas that were affected by tidal flooding along with the rainfall accumulation late yesterday.
All Charleston County Residents should report damage on Charleston County’s online damage page: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/707223c0560f4998ad07f0ee966d3121
In addition, please share any pertinent information with the Town of James Island by emailing info@jamesislandsc.us or by utilizing MyTOJI, the Town’s citizen request system app, or via the Town’s website: https://www.jamesislandsc.us/request-form.
Hurricane Idalia Update #3: August 30, 2023 (morning update)
The Town of James Island has moved to OPCON 2 starting at 8:00 am this morning. The Town is closed for normal business today, Wednesday August 30 and expects to reopen for normal business tomorrow, Thursday August 31 at 12:00 pm.
The current track of Hurricane Idalia is due to reach the Charleston area around 4:00 pm today, and increasing in intensity around 8:00 pm tonight with tropical storm force winds expected through the early morning hours of Thursday. Expected rainfall could be up to 5” and will correspond with the high tide and storm surge this evening. Isolated tornadoes, high winds, heavy rain, and flooding should be expected and planned for. Please take precautions now to ensure you and your property are safe.
Charleston County’s Citizen Hotline number is 843-746-3900. If you have questions or need to reach Town emergency operations staff regarding storm-related issues, call 843-795-4141. Please note that this is NOT an emergency line – please call 911 for emergencies. We also have several other important phone numbers on our website: https://www.jamesislandsc.us/emergency-preparedness.
Candidate filing for the election is temporarily discontinued today and we anticipate reopening along with regular Town business operations tomorrow, weather permitting. Please check back for updates as this could change depending on conditions.
Charleston County has opened the shelter site at 3841 Leeds Avenue beginning at 10:00 am today through 10:00 am on Thursday. For transportation arrangements to get to the shelter site, call the Citizen Hotline at 843-746-3900. Check the following website for more information: https://www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/emergency-management/index.php.
Hurricane Idalia Update #2: August 29, 2023 (afternoon update)
The Town of James Island continues to closely monitor the track of Hurricane Idalia. The current forecast predicts that our area will begin to feel the effects of the storm tomorrow, Wednesday, August 30 mid to late morning and will likely last through the night and into the early hours of Thursday. Flooding is currently of the most concern, especially into Wednesday evening during high tide. Please take precautions now to ensure you and your property are safe.
The Town of James Island will move to OPCON 2 beginning tomorrow, Wednesday August 30 at 8:00 am. This means that Town offices will be closed to regular business and staff are reassigned to emergency operations duties. Please call 843-795-4141 if you have questions during this period. Please note that this is NOT an emergency line – please call 911 for emergencies. We also have several other important phone numbers on our website: https://www.jamesislandsc.us/emergency-preparedness.
Sandbag operations will continue today, Tuesday, August 29, until 5:00 pm and will re-open tomorrow, Wednesday, August 30 at 8:00 am until 1:00 pm, or until we run out of sand. Residents must fill their own bags, however staff will be available to assist those in need.
Candidate filing for the election will be temporarily discontinued on Wednesday, August 30, and we anticipate reopening along with regular Town business operations on Thursday, August 31, at 9:00 am, weather permitting. Please check back for updates as this could change depending on conditions.
Charleston County will offer shelter location sites beginning at 10:00 am Wednesday through 10:00 am on Thursday. Check the following website for more information: https://www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/emergency-management/index.php.
Hurricane Idalia Update #1: August 29, 2023 (morning update)
The Town of James Island continues to closely monitor the track of Hurricane Idalia. The current forecast predicts that our area will begin to feel the effects of the storm tomorrow, Wednesday, August 30 in the morning and will likely last through the night and into the early hours of Thursday. Flooding is currently of the most concern, especially into Wednesday evening during high tide. Please take precautions now to ensure you and your property are safe.
The Town is currently offering sand and bags at Town Hall (1122 Dills Bluff Road) until 5:00 pm today (Tuesday, August 29).
The Town offices will remain open for regular business today until 5:00 pm, operating at OPCON 3. We will announce any changes in OPCON status and closures later today as more information on the timing of the storm becomes clear.
Emergency Preparedness
Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery are top priorities for the Town of James Island. We must be prepared for any disaster and know that our residents will receive the most up-to-date information when an event occurs. Making sure residents have access to the necessities when disaster strikes is important and ensuring timely evacuation off the island if necessary and a safe return is also key.
Town of James Island Municipal Emergency Operations Center (MEOC) Staff:
During emergencies, the Town of James Island will activate the emergency operations center to direct focus on information, safety, preparation, and recovery for any type of disaster. Specific members of staff are assigned roles during activations. Below are the current MEOC Staff and how to get in touch with each division.
MEOC Manager: Mayor -- Town Administrator
Public Information Officer: Town Administrator -- Town Clerk
Operations & Damage Assessment: Public Works Director -- Public Works Staff
Finance & Logistics: Finance Officer -- Town Administrator
Liaison & Safety: Code Enforcement Officer -- Town Clerk
MEOC Contacts:
Mayor: bwoolsey@jamesislandsc.us
Town Administrator: ngrimball@jamesislandsc.us
Town Clerk: fsimmons@jamesislandsc.us
Public Works Director: mjohnson@jamesislandsc.us
Finance Officer: mroe@jamesislandsc.us
Code Enforcement Officer: jhackett@jamesislandsc.us
General information or for direction on who to contact: Call 843-795-4141 (phone line is active during events) or email info@jamesislandsc.us.
It is vital that every resident sign up for the Charleston County Citizen Alert Notification System powered by EVERBRIDGE. This system allows you to be alerted any of the following ways: home phone, mobile phone, text message, email or by fax. Mass notification keeps everyone informed before, during and after any emergency event. Citizen Alert Notification Sign Up.
During an emergency, information specific to James Island will be shared on this website, the Town News email distribution list, and on the Town Facebook account. Sign up for our email distribution list by emailing info@jamesislandsc.us.
James Island is in Evacuation ZONE A. [MAP] After an evacuation order is given, everyone on James Island must take SC 171 (Folly Road) to US 17 (Savannah Highway) . Evacuees will then travel south on US 17 to I-526 to the reversed lanes of I-26. One benefit to early evacuation (leaving before the evacuation order,) is that you may choose your own route.
Click HERE to download a copy of the South Carolina 2023 Hurricane Guide. Also, check out the Charleston County Hurricane Preparedness Guide for more localized information.
Also for more info on list of shelter information and shelter route pick-up point schedules, click HERE. The pre-determined shelter pick-up points for James Island are as follows:
James Island
CC-301: Bus stop at Folly Road and Maybank Hwy.
CC-302: Bus stop at Folly Road and Ellis Oak Avenue.
CC-303: Bus stop at Riverland Drive and Lucky Road.
CC-304: Bus stop at Camp Road and Folly Road.
CC-305: Bus stop at Folly Road and Wilton Street.
CC-306: Camp Center – 1238 Camp Road.
CC-307: James Island High School – 1000 Ft. Johnson Road.
CC-308: Hideaway Pizza Kitchen – 608 Harbor View Road & Clearview Drive.
CC-309: Harris Teeter – 1005 Harbor View Road (at Harbor Place Drive)
CC-310: Bus stop at Folly Road and Westway Drive.
CC-311: Harris Teeter – 1985 Folly Road and Sol Legere Road.
CC-312: Bus stop at Old Military Road and Lamar Road.
CC-313: Bus stop at Ft. Johnson Road and Secessionville Road.
CC-314: Bus stop at Riverland Drive and Stonewood Drive.
CC-315: Bus stop at Wappoo Drive and Plymouth Avenue. Folly Beach
CC-316: Folly Boat Landing – Folly Road at ICW – 97
The Charleston County Emergency Management Department developed and maintains an Emergency Operations Plan and Re-Entry Plan for the entire County. Please visit their website at www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/emergency-management for more information and links to these documents.
In case of an event, here are some important numbers or websites you need to know.
Downed Trees: Call 911
Downed Power lines: Dominion Energy - 1-888-333-4465
Gas Leaks: Dominion Energy - 1-800-815-0083
Non-emergency Public Safety concerns: Consolidated Dispatch - 843-743-7200
Here are other important links with helpful information before, during and after an event:
South Carolina Emergency Management Division http://www.scemd.org/
FEMA website for Citizen Preparedness http://www.ready.gov/
FEMA Emergency Management Institute IS Classes https://training.fema.gov/is/crslist.aspx
National Weather Service Charleston Office http://www.weather.gov/chs/
Pet Friendly Hotels http://www.pet-friendly-hotels.net/