Home hardening

You cannot make a house in the Lowcountry immune to a major hurricane, but you can remove a lot of avoidable damage and make the building safer to stay in — or easier to leave. Do the slow work in the off-season. Do the last-minute work when a storm is still days away, not when the first gale is already in the trees.

Know the risks at your address

Look up your evacuation zone by address on Know Your Zone. Zones in Charleston County are currently lettered A, B, and C and are based mainly on storm-surge risk; Berkeley and Dorchester Counties use different letters. Confirm rather than assume. Details are on the local resources page.
Look up flood maps at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Maps do not capture every ponding or drainage problem, and rainfall floods happen well inland of the beach. For permits or a local flood-zone determination, contact Charleston County Floodplain Management, Berkeley County Floodplain Management, or Dorchester County’s Floodplain Management Program.
Standard homeowner insurance usually does not cover flood. Review flood coverage early; NFIP policies often have a 30-day wait. See Documents and money.

Wind and rain

Clear gutters, downspouts, and yard drains, and keep them clear through the season.
Bring in or tie down patio furniture, grills, trash cans, and anything else that can become a projectile. Move potted plants and hanging baskets.
Trim trees and dead limbs well before a storm is named. In a warning period, many tree services will already be booked, and you should not be on a ladder in rising wind.
Check that doors and windows close and latch. If you have hurricane shutters, practice installing them. If you use plywood, cut and label the sheets now, and store the screws or bolts with a drill and a charged battery.
Inspect the roof, soffits, and flashing when it is safe to do so, or have them inspected, and repair loose material before summer.
Garage doors are a common failure point in high wind. Ask a qualified installer about bracing if the door was not built to a current wind standard.
Consider a sump pump with a backup power source if your house is prone to water in a crawl space or basement (less common in some Lowcountry construction, but not unheard of). Check valves on sewer lines can reduce backups; a plumber can tell you if they are appropriate.

None of this is a reason to stay in an evacuation zone after an order is issued. Hardening helps the house. It does not make surge water safe.

Flood and surge, if you are staying or if water is coming

Only stay if you are not in a zone that has been ordered to leave, and if you have a sound reason to believe the house will remain above the water.

Move valuables, papers, chemicals, and electrical items to higher floors.
Know how to shut off electricity at the main breaker, and gas or propane at the tank or meter, if it is safe. Do not stand in water and touch electrical equipment. If the water is already in the house, leave the switches alone and get out.
Know where the water shutoff is.
Never walk or drive through floodwater. Stay off bridges over fast-moving water.
If you are trapped in a building by rising water, go to the highest habitable floor. Do not climb into a closed attic, where you can be trapped. If you must get on the roof, take a way to signal for help.
If a vehicle is caught in rising water and you cannot drive out, get out if it is still safe; if water is rising inside and you cannot leave, get onto the roof of the vehicle and call 911.

Utilities, fire, and carbon monoxide

Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms monthly, and keep battery backups in them.
Have an ABC fire extinguisher you know how to use, and keep a clear path out of every room. A house fire plan is in the family plan.
Generators, grills, and camp stoves stay outside and at least 20 feet from openings. Details are on Power and lighting.
If you smell gas, leave the house without using light switches or phones inside, and call 911 and the gas utility from a safe place.

The tri-county region also has a real, if infrequent, earthquake risk. Securing tall furniture, knowing how to shut off utilities, and keeping shoes and a light by the bed are reasonable all-hazard habits, not only hurricane habits.

Wildfire is a smaller routine risk here than in the West, but brush and woods fires do occur in South Carolina in dry spells. Keep a defensible space around the house if you live beside woods or marsh grass, and be ready to leave if officials say so.

After the storm

Return only when officials say it is safe. Watch for downed lines, weakened trees, and wildlife in and under the house.
Photograph damage before you move things, and start insurance claims early.
Wear gloves, boots, eye protection, and a suitable mask for mold or dusty debris. People with lung disease or a weakened immune system, and children, should not do mold or demolition cleanup.
Do not run a generator inside, and do not connect it to the house wiring unless a licensed transfer switch is in place.
Stay out of standing water. It can hide holes, sharp debris, sewage, and live electrical current.