Haley acted correctly in advance of storm

Many coastal evacuees who drove farther and farther north vainly looking for a motel room no doubt were upset with Gov. Nikki Haley when Hurricane Matthew finally headed out to sea. They were thinking, “I could have stayed home, ridden out the storm and saved myself a lot of worry and expense.”

While thousands of South Carolinians followed the governor’s orders to evacuate coastal communities that might have taken a direct hit from Matthew, many others decided to stay put. And most of them undoubtedly concluded that they had made the right choice.

But in all fairness, they need to ask themselves what might have happened if they hadn’t been so lucky, if Matthew had swerved slightly westward and slammed directly into the South Carolina coastline as a category 3 hurricane. The damage would have been far more severe and the death toll possibly much higher.

With that in mind, we commend Gov. Haley for declaring a state of emergency and ordering evacuations early. When she did so on Tuesday, the path of Matthew was hard to predict – as is always the case with hurricanes – but forecasters said it could be as dangerous as any the South Atlantic coast has seen in years.

Haley not only ordered coastal residents to leave but also ordered the closing of schools and government offices. State officials reversed lanes on Interstate 26 and other highways near the coast around mid-afternoon Wednesday to facilitate the mass evacuations, avoiding a repeat of the epic traffic jam that occurred when Hurricane Floyd threatened the state in 1999.

As Matthew lumbered toward the coast, South Carolina was prepared for the worst. Hundreds of National Guard troops, including units from Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Chester and Lancaster, were dispatched to Charleston and other seaside communities to help with whatever emergencies might arise.

Relief agencies were prepared to provide food, shelter and supplies to anyone displaced by the storm. Red Cross crews were sent to Columbia and cities along the coast to assist if needed.

Upstate schools sent buses to Charleston to help with the evacuation. Volunteer workers with power companies prepared to rush to the coast and help restore power in communities hit by the storm.

The York County Board of Disabilities and Special Needs hosted 30 hurricane evacuees with special needs from Dorchester County during the storm.

In the end, states along the East Coast from Florida to Virginia were spared the worst potential devastation Hurricane Matthew might have wrought. But it still was a consequential storm, wiping out roads and homes close to the water, causing widespread flooding, knocking out power for hundreds of thousands of residents, toppling trees and, ultimately, taking lives.

Matthew was responsible for at least 26 deaths, some who were crushed by falling trees, more who drowned in flood waters. While South Carolina dodged widespread wind damage, flooding remains a problem, and in North Carolina, the water in swollen creeks and rivers has yet to crest.

Yes, the ordered evacuation was an inconvenience for thousands. Many of those who fled could safely have stayed home.

Nonetheless, we think it was smart to err on the side of caution and do what was necessary to bring about an orderly evacuation before the hurricane hit. Under the circumstances, Gov. Haley made the right choice.

This story was originally published October 11, 2016 at 6:01 PM with the headline "Haley acted correctly in advance of storm."