Summer Tourism Kicks Off on Coast

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WOLO) — The summer tourist season is underway along the South Carolina coast and that brings a season of sun, surf and perhaps storms. Online sites will help visitors find public beaches along the state’s 190 mile coast when it’s sunny and evacuation routes when skies turn stormy. With hurricane season starting Monday, the state Emergency Management Division web site (www.scemd.org) includes a section called Know Your Zone. It includes an interactive map with evacuation routes and links to county emergency management pages. When skies are sunny, a new interactive Department of Health and Environmental Control site helps folks get to the beach. The site (gis.dhec.sc.gov/beachaccess) lists all 620 public beach access points and lets visitors search for beaches in specific towns or with specific amenities such as parking or restrooms. (Source: The Associated Press)