Hurricane Preparedness in South Carolina

1. Hurricane Preparedness in South Carolina Jim Feda, P.E. Director of Maintenance

2. Topics of Discussion • Coordination with other state agencies • SCDOT Emergency Operations Readiness System (EORS) • SCDOT Maintenance Assistance Plan • Debris removal contracts

3. Coordination With Other Agencies • South Carolina Emergency Management Division • South Carolina Department of Public Safety

4. Coordination with SC Emergency Management Division • SCDOT provides staff to handle transportation emergency support functions at the State Emergency Operation Center (SEOC) • Monitor status of all road networks and provide continuous updates to SEOC • Assist SCEMD and SCDPS with the development of evacuation routes to include physical identification of routes.

6. Emergency Support Functions Cont. • Provide required barrier material, signage, and manpower to support evacuation operations • Maintain list of swing and draw bridges requiring closure to maritime traffic and coordinate with SC Department of Natural Resources and US Coast Guard regarding closure to maritime traffic during emergency situations • For all SEOC activations involving evacuation/re-entry activities, SCDOT will provide technical assistance, and operational guidance through the presence of a Senior Traffic Engineer and/or a Senior Maintenance Engineer

7. Emergency Support Functions Cont. • Coordinate and monitor use of SCDOT maintenance yards and contracted bulk fuel transfer vehicles for post-impact fuel / refueling operations • Provide personnel to assist with preliminary damage assessment as required

8. Coordination with SC Department of Public Safety • SCDOT assists with evacuation traffic control and lane reversal/counter flow on designated routes • Provide closed-circuit television images of evacuation routes • Provide electronic access to include vehicle count and speed data • Provide water and portable toilets to comfort stations

9. 162 SCDOT Personnel per shift 125 SCHP personnel per shift 124 barricades 459 barrels 1,500 cones 21 changeable message signs Resources Needed forInterstate Reversal

10. Key Points to I-26 Reversal • Four access points to reversed lanes • Exit at any interchange (4 exceptions) • Re-enter I-26 in normal pattern • Bottled water, maps, and additionalport-a-lets at rest areas • SCDOT & Law Enforcement personnel available at rest areas to provide assistance

11. Elements of Interstate Reversal • Requires 2 hours to place barricades • Requires 3 hours to flush traffic • Limited entrance and exit from reversed lanes (22 interchanges) • Strongly considered for High Category 2 or greater storm

12. I-26 / I-77 Interchange

15. I-26 Reversal

16. Evacuation Resources • Field reports supplied by DPS stationed at traffic control points (TCPs)

17. Evacuation Resources • Roving Incident Response trucks

18. Evacuation Resources • Fire Apparatus

19. Evacuation Resources • Pre-positioned SC Army National Guard tow trucks

20. Evacuation Resources • Aircraft surveillance on all evacuation routes

21. Evacuation Resources

22. ITS Components“Input – Analysis – Distribution”

23. ITS Components“Input – Analysis – Distribution” • 350 Closed Circuit TV Cameras • 360 side-fire radars for speed detection • 8 Incident Response Programs statewide • 146 Automatic traffic recorders

24. ITS Components“Input – Analysis – Distribution” • State and 4 District Traffic Management Centers • Traffic Video and ATR count data relayed to State Emergency Operation Center (SEOC)

25. ITS Components“Input – Analysis – Distribution” • 96 Portable Changeable Message Signs • 57 Permanent Changeable Message Signs • 24 Highway Advisory Radios • Internet access to traffic cameras • 511 Service

26. SCDOT Emergency Readiness System • Checklist • Email groups • Procedures and information • Emergency phone numbers

28. Checklist • Hurricane checklist detailing responsibilities and actions performed by employees • Broken down into 9 events or action levels • Checklists are created for each storm and saved to a database providing documentation of actions taken • Can sort checklist by engineering district, employee, and group responsibilities

30. Hurricane Checklists

32. Email Groups • Contains special groups for dissemination of hurricane related information • Contains email addresses for all participants inside and outside of SCDOT

34. Procedures and Information • Contact Information • Resources • Procedures • Miscellaneous

36. Emergency Phone Numbers • EORS contains all of the emergency phone numbers for agency personnel

38. SCDOT Maintenance Assistance Plan • Establishes mobilization plans for upstate maintenance units to provide assistance to the coastal districts for hurricane/tropical storm road debris removal operations. • Is initiated in varying degrees by the forecast of storm landfall and intensity. • Assistance is primarily for all coastal counties with limited assistance for some counties adjacent to the coastal counties. • Additional assistance is provided to urban areas and counties with interstates. The plan establishes general protocol for post storm mobilization and deployment to clear roadways to open access routes for emergency responders as a priority.

39. Debris Removal Contracts • Currently we have six (6) large contractors on call for service • The contract established maximum pricing based on FEMA equipment rental rates and an additive for emergency labor rates. This pricing is used for the road clearing phase • The contract also establishes maximum pricing for debris removal, handling and disposal based on contractor’s historical rates adjusted for inflation. • All contractors will be requested to submit their lowest price bid within 24-36 hours of landfall and depending upon the estimated damage SCDOT will call in 1 to 6 contractors • Contractors will be required to establish debris processing/reduction sites in accordance to EPA/ SCDHEC requirements