NWS: Florence Could be "Storm of a Lifetime"

Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Projections for Hurricane Florence are becoming more serious as the Category 4 storm approaches the East Coast, with forecasters saying it could be the "storm of a lifetime" when it arrives. Upstate South Carolina remains in the area expected to see high winds and heavy rainfall by late weekend as the storm moves inland.

The National Hurricane Center said in its 5 a.m. advisory Florence will move west-northwestward between Bermuda and the Bahamas on Wednesday. It will then slow considerably while strengthening off the U.S. coast, and produce extremely dangerous conditions in its path. The storm will most likely make strike the coast of North Carolina or South Carolina by late Thursday.

The eye of the storm was about 575 miles miles southeast of Cape Fear, N.C., and moving west-northwest at 17 mph with recorded maximum sustained winds of 130 mph, the NHC said.

The National Weather Service in Wilmington, N.C., said the hurricane is looking like a major event.

"This will likely be the storm of a lifetime for portions of the Carolina coast," it said early Wednesday. "And that`s saying a lot given the impacts we`ve seen from Hurricanes Diana, Hugo, Fran, Bonnie, Floyd, and Matthew."

"I can`t emphasize enough the potential for unbelievable damage from wind, storm surge, and inland flooding with this storm," one NWS forecaster said.

Florence Expected to Bring Heavy Rains to Upstate

Hurricane Florence is expected to pound the Carolinas and Virginia late Thursday and into Friday as an intense hurricane with life-threatening storm surge, destructive winds and potentially catastrophic inland rainfall flooding as one of the strongest strikes on record for this part of the U.S. East Coast. Heavy rains are now being forecast for the Upstate.

A hurricane warning is now in effect from the South Santee River, South Carolina, northward to Duck, North Carolina. This includes Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Wilmington, North Carolina, and most of the Outer Banks.

Hurricane watches remain posted north of Duck to the border between North Carolina and Virginia, as well as from Edisto Beach, South Carolina, northward to the South Santee River. This includes Charleston, South Carolina.

Hurricane watches also extend to some extent inland in the Carolinas, including such cities as Goldsboro, Kinston and Lumberton, North Carolina.

Tropical storm watches have been issued farther north from the border between North Carolina and Virginia to Cape Charles Lighthouse, Virginia, as well as for the Chesapeake Bay south of New Point Comfort, Virginia.

AnMed Begins Taking Storm Evacuees

AnMed Health is preparing to accept 11 patients from Grand Strand Medical Center in Myrtle Beach who are being evacuated from the coast ahead of Hurricane Florence. The evacuees are expected to arrive after 7:30 p.m. today depending on the traffic. They will be accommodated on a non-critical care unit. Their length of stay is dependent on the weather conditions of hurricane Florence. 

 

Other evacuees, finding refuge in the area, who have non-emergency medical needs, may contact the Department Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to find out about a special medical needs shelter. The DHEC care line number is 1-855-472-3432. 

 

Evacuees, who need dialysis treatment and have not made previous arrangements, should also call the DHEC care line number at 1-855-472-3432 to get directed to an area dialysis clinic. 

Clemson Extension Offers Tips on Preparing for Flooding

CLEMSON — With flooding possible in the path of Hurricane Florence, Clemson Extension is advising residents who rely on drinking well water to take action to better prepare their wells, even as they are making plans to evacuate.

Clemson Extension is advising South Carolina residents who rely on well water to take action to better prepare their wells for possible flooding in advance of Hurricane Florence, even as they are making plans to evacuate.

Clemson Extension is offering a fact sheet titled “How to prepare your well for the next flood: evacuation preparations and return home” that includes information on steps residents can take to prepare wells during potential evacuation preparations and upon return.

“With some simple preparation methods ahead of a potential evacuation, residents who rely on wells for their drinking water can save valuable time and lower the risk of illness due to flood-related water-borne pathogens,” said Cal Sawyer, water resources specialist. “This fact sheet contains some easy steps you can take before a potential flood that will protect you in the event that your well is submerged.”

Among the most important steps is to store adequate bottled water for drinking and cooking because if a well is submerged even temporarily during a flood, the well water won’t be usable to drink, brush teeth or cook with until it is tested and found suitable.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) can test private drinking well water for bacterial contamination. Residents should locate the nearest regional DHEC Environmental Affairs office to obtain sample collection bottles and instructions before the flooding occurs, if possible. County Extension agents can help with locating the nearest office. Contact information for each county office is available here.

If available, locate the log/well report completed when your well was installed and store a copy of it in a safe place that will be accessible if you evacuate. Also, locate contact information for licensed well drillers in the area. If possible, contact a driller before evacuating if you think your well will need service immediately after the flood.

Residents should also fill up their well’s pressure tank as much as possible and turn off electricity to the well. Residents with an aerobic septic system should also turn off electricity for that system. No special preparations are recommended for conventional septic systems.

That information and more, including recommendations for restoring your well upon return from an evacuation and how to shock chlorinate a water well are included in the fact sheet.

County to Consider Options for Employee Health Insurance

by Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson County will consider moving ahead with plans to find more affordable and comprehensive health care for employees at a special called council meeting Thursday at 6 p.m. in the historic courthouse downtown.

"The county is looking for innovative and affordable health care for all of our employees," said Anderson County Adminstrator Rusty Burns. "We are looking at a variety of options to find better health care that works."

Burns said that currently, even though the county provides health care through the state system at no cost to each employee, many employees can still not afford to go to the doctor because of co-pays, deductibles and other fees. The cost of the state insurance plan has been among the most rapdily rising budget items for the county, while the quality and availabliity of actual health care has decline.

Council will discuss a potential plan with Direct Access, MD, of Anderson, a group which provides affordable primary care to individuals and families. Dr. Amy Cianciolo and Dr. Shane Purcell, partners in the group, will be on hand for the meeting. 

A representative of Palmetto Insurance of Anderson will also be at the meeting to discuss medical issues which require hospitalization or other urget care not covered by primary care. Palmetto was chosen earlier this year after Anderson County Council put out a request for proposals on alternative health insurance options. 

"If council approves a plan, we'll move ahead quickly," Burns said. "The right plan could be put into place in three to four months."

Anderson Greek Festival Plus Set for This Weekend

The Annual Anderson Greek Festival Plus is scheduled for Sept. 14-16 at the Civic Center of Anderson. Proceeds to support causes in the Holy Land and charities in the Anderson area, and The Shepherd's Guild outreach fund.

Julie RobertsThis year will feature Nashville recording artist Julie Roberts, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m., which is free, though a donation to help the charity is suggested.

The festival was honored as “Best Annual Community Event" 2015 and 2017, and this year added "Plus" to the name to promote our other non-Greek entertainment. The festival offers the new activities while keeping the traditional Greek culinary base and mission.

A wide variety of traditional Greek food, music and dancing are the key elements of the festival each year.

The festival entertainment kicks of Sept. 14 with hours from 4:30-9:30 pm. featuring live music by Slighshot Mickey & Machine Funk and will continue on Sept. 15 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and  Sept. 16 and from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 19.

 

Admission is free and the public is invited.

The proceeds of the 2018 Festival will support causes in the Holy Land and charities in the Anderson area, and The Shepherd's Guild outreach fund.

The Festival is a project of The Shepherd's Guild, a 501c3 nonprofit service organization.

The Annual Anderson Greek Festival Plus is scheduled for Sept. 14-16 at the Civic Center of Anderson. Proceeds to support causes in the Holy Land and charities in the Anderson area, and The Shepherd's Guild outreach fund.The festival entertainment kicks of Sept. 14 with hours from 4:30-9:30 pm. featuring live music by Slighshot Mickey & Machine Funk and will continue on Sept. 15 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and  Sept. 16 and from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 19.

Admission is free and the public is invited.

The proceeds of the 2018 Festival will support causes in the Holy Land and charities in the Anderson area, and The Shepherd's Guild outreach fund.

Kathryn and Leo Smith United Way Communitarians of the Year

Longtime Anderson residents Kathryn and Leo Smith have been chosen the United Way of Anderson County's Communitarians of the Year. 

The couple was chosen by the past recipients of the award for their commitment to the betterment of the community through their leadership and community service in Anderson County. A banquet honoring the Smiths is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Tucker’s Restaurant.

Throughout its history, Anderson County has been blessed with outstanding leaders who have pioneered thoughts, ideas and initiatives that have resulted in our community being a better, brighter, and healthier community in which to live, work and raise families. Many of these are remembered for or are associated with one particular cause or initiative in Anderson County.

Other leaders have distinguished themselves by their work, guidance and philanthropy in multiple areas. These leaders possess one common trait- they understand that they must work and support initiatives that benefit all of the community- every neighborhood, every faith, every organization, and every individual. These are identified by the United Way as the Communitarians, who set an example for others.

Reservations are $50 per person. Donations are also accepted in honor of the Smiths. Proceeds from this event will go to the Cancer Association of Anderson. To make a reservation or make a donation, send checks to: United Way of Anderson County; c/o Communitarian; P.O. Box 2067; Anderson, SC 29622, or visit www.unitedwayofanderson.org.

Americans Remember Heroes, Victims of 9/11

Americans were commemorating 9/11 with somber tributes, volunteer projects and a new monument to victims Tuesday, after a year when two attacks demonstrated the enduring threat of terrorism in the nation's biggest city.

Margie Miller was among the 9/11 victims' relatives, survivors, rescuers and others who gathered on a misty Tuesday morning at the memorial plaza where the World Trade Center's twin towers once stood. She came to the site from her home in suburban Baldwin, as she does 10 or so times a year, to remember her husband, Joel Miller. Only a few fragments of his remains were recovered.

"To me, he is here. This is my holy place," his widow said before the ceremony began with a moment of silence and tolling bells at 8:46 a.m., the time when the trade center was hit by the first of two terrorist-piloted planes.

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence headed to the two other places where hijacked planes crashed on Sept. 11, 2001, in the deadliest terror attack on American soil.

The president and first lady Melania Trump planned to join an observance at the Sept. 11 memorial in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a new "Tower of Voices" was dedicated Saturday. Pence is attending a ceremony at the Pentagon. Trump, a Republican and native New Yorker, took the occasion of last year's anniversary to issue a stern warning to extremists that "America cannot be intimidated."

Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks on 9/11, when international terrorism hit home in a way it previously hadn't for many Americans. Sept. 11 still shapes American policy, politics and everyday experiences in places from airports to office buildings, even if it's less of a constant presence in the public consciousness after 17 years.

Survey: One in Five College Students Have Considered Suicide

(UPI) - College can be so stressful that many students think about killing themselves, and some even try, a new study suggests.

Among more than 67,000 students surveyed, over 20 percent said they experienced stressful events in the last year that were strongly associated with mental health problems, including harming themselves and suicidal thoughts or attempts, researchers found.

"What's striking about our findings is that there is a disproportionate number of students who are reporting a large number of exposures to stress they believe is traumatic or difficult to overcome," said lead researcher Cindy Liu. She directs the developmental risk and cultural disparities program at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

"There are some stresses that are exceeding the capacity of students to cope," she added.

Stressful events defined as traumatic or difficult to handle included: academic pressures; career issues; death of a family member or friend; family problems; intimate and other social relationships; finances; health problems of a family member or partner; personal appearance; personal health problems and sleep difficulties.

Liu's team found that 3 out of 4 students had experienced at least one stressful event in the previous year. And more than 20 percent experienced six or more stressful events in the past year.

Among these students, 1 in 4 said they had been diagnosed with or treated for a mental health problem. Furthermore, 20 percent of all students surveyed thought about suicide, 9 percent had attempted suicide, and nearly 20 percent injured themselves.

Full Story Here

More than 1 Million Evacuated Ahead of Hurricane

More than 1 million people in the southeast United States faced mandatory evacuation orders as Hurricane Florence neared Category 5 strength Tuesday.

Florence was upgraded twice Monday, from Category 3 to 4, prompting evacuation orders in coastal areas of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Remembering the historic storms that ravaged the American Gulf Coast and Puerto Rico last year, residents boarded up their homes, formed long lines at gas stations and emptied the shelves of hardware stores and supermarkets. Officials warned not to underestimate the threat the storm poses. 

The size of hurricane-force winds doubled over 12 hours from 30 to 60 mph, the National Hurricane Center said Monday afternoon. The wind field is expected to keep growing, which will increase the storm surge and inland wind threats, the service said in a statement.

In South Carolina, mandatory evacuation orders take effect Tuesday at noon in eight counties along the state's 187-mile coastline. Starting then, all roads on I-26 and Route 501 will be directed away from the coast, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said.

"This is a real hurricane we have coming," McMaster said Monday. "We don't want to risk one South Carolina life."

Mandatory evacuations start in coastal South Carolina Tuesday at noon.

"None of the guidance suggest that Florence has peaked in intensity, and this is supported by a continuation of a low-shear environment, and even warmer waters over he next 36 hours. Thus, the intensity forecast is raised from the previous one, bringing Florence close to Category 5 strength tomorrow," NHS said.

In North Carolina, six more counties were placed under mandatory evacuation orders Monday night, hours after the first order in Hatteras Island. Certain areas of Brunswick, Currituck, Dare, Hyde, New Hanover, and Onslow counties are affected, and more orders are expected Tuesday.

State government offices, including schools and medical facilities, will be closed in 26 counties, McMaster said. He estimated that about one million people will be affected by the order, including residents and visitors.

County Emergency Division Upgrades Readiness Ahead of Storm

In preparation for the potential impact of Hurricane Florence, the  Anderson County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management Division upgraded its operational readiness level to OPCON 4, an indication that an emergency or disaster situation may occur requiring the County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to coordinate activities with partner agencies and organizations. At this time, there is no increase in staffing, only the preliminary stages of readiness efforts and a review of response procedures.

The EOC will host a community leadership awareness meeting at 11 a.m. tomorrow, in the Joint Information Center located at 200 Bleckley Street. Representatives from each of the critical county offices and partnering agencies will meet to discuss readiness and coordinate activity.

AnMed Auxiliary Celebrates 60 Years with $60,000 Donation

The AnMed Health Auxiliary of volunteers is celebrating its 60 year anniversary by making a $60,000 donation. The recipient of the donation will be announced at an 11:30 a.m. luncheon on Sept. 17 at the Bleckley Inn Carriage House dowtwon. Prior to the luncheon, at 10:30 a.m., a mural depicting the auxiliary’s timeline of accomplishments will be unveiled in the AnMed Health Medical Center lobby at 800 North Fant Street. 

There are more than 100 volunteers in the auxiliary supporting and helping AnMed Health and the community. The auxiliary has made some significant donations in its 60 year history, including a $325,000 contribution to the capital campaign to build the AnMed Health North Campus, $165,000 towards the purchase of the AnMed Health mobile mammography coach and annually funding $50,000 in college scholarships for students studying in healthcare related fields. The auxiliary also donates money to a variety of different programs and departments that make a difference for AnMed Health’s patients and visitors.  

Sales, from the volunteer-run AnMed Health gift shop at the Medical Center and North Campus, are the main source of revenue for the auxiliary.