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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 4 september 2019

Weather-tested residents brace for Dorian on Southeast coast

By MEG KINNARD egory 2 hurricane Tuesday here since 1770,” Grimball Dorian could dump as ing a chance.”
Associated Press after slamming into the Ba- said, gesturing to the white much as 10 inches (25 Irma sent about 3 feet (1
FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (AP) — hamas as a terrifying Cat- and pastel houses dotting centimeters) of rain along meter) of seawater from
Weather-tested residents egory 5 storm with 185 mph his neighborhood. “They’ve South Carolina’s northeast- storm surge into Spalding’s
along the coasts of Geor- (298 kph) winds. been through a lot.” ern regions, the National house before he had even
gia and the Carolinas were Practically parking over the Grimball said he would re-
using their experience with Bahamas for a day and a consider, however, if the
past storms to guide them half, the storm pounded storm became a Category
Tuesday as they read- away at the islands Tues- 3 or stronger hurricane: He
ied their homes for Hurri- day, devastating thou- remembers the devasta-
cane Dorian and decided sands of homes. At least tion from Hurricane Hugo in
whether to heed evacua- five deaths were reported, 1989.
tion orders. with the full extent of the Hugo slammed into South
“Here we are,” said Ed damage far from clear. Carolina’s coast with winds
Bandarovich as he strolled The weakened storm gusting as high as 108 mph
along sunlit Folly Beach out- pushed northwest at 5 mph (174 kph) in Charleston, kill-
side of Charleston, South (8 kph) with hurricane-force ing several dozen people,
Carolina. “It’s a beautiful winds extending up to 60 causing nearly $6 billion in
beach day, but who knows miles (95 kilometers) from damage and toppling a
what tomorrow’s going to its center. While weaker, massive magnolia in Grim-
bring.” the storm was continuing ball’s backyard.
Bandarovich, 70, recently to grow in size, according “It gets to be really danger-
moved to Johns Island, to the National Hurricane ous,” he said.
South Carolina, from Wood- Center. The threat of a di- Forecasters and public of-
stock, New York, where he rect hit on Florida had all ficials were concerned that
experienced the devastat- but evaporated, but Dorian regardless of the storm’s
ing inland effects of Super- was expected to pass dan- strength, it could dump a Tom Sikes, right, helps his friend Joey Spalding, left, fill sandbags
storm Sandy in 2012. gerously close to Georgia dangerous amount of wa- at Spalding’s home in Tybee Island, Ga., Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019,
Bandarovich said he had and South Carolina — and ter on the Carolinas. before the potential arrival of Hurricane Dorian.
been ready for Sandy’s perhaps strike North Caroli- In September 2018, slow- Associated Press
power and its heavy rains na — on Thursday or Friday. moving Hurricane Florence
but was caught off-guard South Carolina Gov. Henry was only a Category 1 storm Weather Service said. finished repairing the dam-
by the 75 mph (121 kph) McMaster ordered manda- as it gradually came ashore On Georgia’s Tybee Is- age from Hurricane Mat-
wind gusts that swept tory evacuations along the near the border of the two land, about 18 miles (28 thew the year before. Irma
through the area in the state’s 190-mile (306-kilo- states. But it dumped near- kilometers) east of Savan- ruined most of his furniture
storm’s wake. The winds meter) coast and turned all ly 3 feet (1 meter) of rain nah, Joey Spalding said he and forced him to replace
scattered debris through- lanes of Interstate 26 into a in some areas, unleashing had decided not to take drywall inside the house
out his neighborhood, one-way evacuation route widespread flooding that any risks with Dorian after and siding on the outside.
turned fallen boards and heading west. Georgia of- left dozens dead and caus- watching back-to-back “During Irma, I lost almost
branches into projectiles ficials did the same with ing $600 million in damage. storms swamp his island everything,” Spalding said.
and knocked out his power Interstate 16 after Gov. Bri- Thousands of coastal resi- home, in 2016 and then in In preparation for Dorian,
for days, he said. an Kemp ordered coastal dents were evacuated be- 2017. Spalding said he planned
“It’s all in the preparation, evacuations. fore the storm. “I’m not losing all my stuff to wrap the house in plastic
in being aware of what’s Attorney Henry Grimball, 71, In 2016, Hurricane Matthew this time,” the 50-year-old up to shoulder height and
going to happen, or could said he and his wife would dumped up to 16 inches building contractor said pile sandbags in front of the
happen,” Bandarovich likely ride out Dorian in their (41 centimeters) of rain in Tuesday as he emptied the doors.
said, noting that he had narrow four-story home in North Carolina, flooding contents of his low-lying “In this case, I don’t have
boarded up his Johns Is- Charleston’s downtown his- and causing about $320 bungalow into a U-Haul. to come into a house full of
land home just in case. toric district. million of damage down- “Even if it doesn’t come junk,” he said. “I’m learning
Dorian weakened to a Cat- “These houses have been stream in South Carolina. into the house, I’m not tak- a little as I go.”q