SC watches Irene as forecasts say she’ll go north

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — South Carolinians are buying plywood, tarps, fuel and generators with Hurricane Irene spinning at sea and projected to move north of the state.

Although the latest advisories from the National Hurricane Center take the storm toward North Carolina, Gov. Nikki Haley says South Carolina is prepared.

She says South Carolina will help other states if the landfall is somewhere else.

In Charleston, one man who owns a restaurant on Folly Beach was buying plywood to board up in case the storm shifts direction. And the manager of a Lowe’s in Myrtle Beach says business has been steady with people buying generators and plywood just in case.

The last major storm to hit the state was Hugo which smashed into the coast north of Charleston 22 years ago.