Copyright postandcourier
CHARLESTON — Local officials are prepping ahead of forecasts calling for a wet weekend and potential impacts from an approaching tropical disturbance early next week. The National Weather Service is monitoring a disturbance just east of Cuba that forecasters are anticipating will become a tropical storm over the weekend. Shortly after Gov. Henry McMaster issued a state of emergency Friday afternoon, Charleston County Council voted unanimously at an emergency council meeting to pass an ordinance declaring the same. County emergency management director Justin Pierce said the ordinance should let the public know that because this storm is forming closer to the shore, storm preparation time is much shorter. He urged the public to fill their cars up with gas, get cash, get their boats out of the water and get their houses prepared over the next 24 hours. Following the state of emergency declaration, Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the state’s price gouging law is in effect. The law prohibits excessive prices during a disaster and lasts until the emergency expires. " If these storms do cause problems, we could see normal price increases for goods and services, and those are not considered price gouging under our law,” he said. “But, we may see businesses and individuals try to unfairly take advantage of the situation through price gouging of food, gasoline, lodging, and other commodities as defined by the statute,” he said. “By our law, that’s a criminal violation and an unfair trade practice.” Daniel Flessas, an emergency management specialist for the city of Charleston briefed City Council on the latest forecasts early Sept. 26. "Prepare now,” he said. “Uncertainty doesn't mean don't prepare." Ahead of any impacts from a potential storm, separate forecasts call for up to 1½ inches of rain on Sept. 27. Totals could reach as high was 2 to 3 inches in the Charleston area.
