Isle of Palms officials provide updates on Hurricane Idalia

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City of Isle of Palms officials continue to monitor Idalia, which has strengthened into a hurricane. According to the National Weather Service, the South Carolina coast is under a Tropical Storm Watch. The greatest impacts for the Lowcountry are expected to occur Wednesday morning through Thursday morning. Hazards include heavy rainfall and flash flooding, strong winds, storm surge, rip currents, high surf and beach erosion. There is also a risk of tornadoes.

Office closures and changes to city operations are as follows:

  • City offices and the Recreation Center will close at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, August 30, 2023. Many City Hall services are available online at Virtual City Hall.
  • Isle of Palms Recreation Department programs and classes scheduled after 2 p.m. on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, are canceled.
  • Municipal Court scheduled for Wednesday, August 30, 2023, is canceled. Court cases will be continued to a later date. For more information, please contact Amy Lee, clerk of court, at amyw@iop.net.
  • Garbage collection on Thursday, August 31, 2023, is canceled. Normal garbage collection services will resume on Friday, September 1. Residents should not place garbage and recycling bins out on Wednesday evening.
  • Sandbags are available at no charge at the city’s Public Safety Building- located at 30 J. C. Long Blvd. Sand is available at the large Municipal Parking Lot on Pavilion Drive. Citizens are responsible for filling their own sandbags. Sandbags are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, and are limited to 10 per person.

Suggested Preparations:

  • Citizens should avoid unnecessary travel due to possible localized flooding caused by potential heavy rainfall.
  • Please remove any items around your home that could cause damage due to the potential for strong wind gusts.
  • Please follow directions on traffic and message boards for road closure information
  • In the event of possible flooding, citizens are asked not to drive around barricades or drive through standing water.

         Important phone numbers:

Please monitor the National Weather Service for the latest weather updates.

For storm and city operations updates, please visit iop.net, the city’s Facebook page and check local news outlets. Emergency preparedness resources are also available on the South Carolina Emergency Management Division’s website: scemd.org.