Hurricane evacuation drill in SC coastal counties

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Emergency officials are scheduled to simulate a hurricane evacuation in South Carolina.

The Tuesday exercise consists of simulating coastal highway lane reversals, although there will be no actual reversal of traffic.

Personnel from the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Transportation and other agencies are taking part.

The exercise simulates lane reversals on U.S. 278 and U.S. 21 along the south coast. Traffic control equipment and personnel will also be deployed on Interstate 26 leading from Charleston, as well as along U.S. 501 and S.C. 22 on the state’s north coast.

No intersections or traffic will be blocked.

The idea is to allow emergency officials to add more lanes of traffic leaving the coast in the event of an evacuation before an approaching storm.