Shelters — who designates and opens them, and where the official list is published

Shelters are not fixed; they open by event. The 2026 SC Hurricane Guide states: "emergency shelters will be provided by the SC Department of Social Services and the American Red Cross, as directed by local officials," and "Open shelters will be listed on scemd.org and the SC Emergency Manager mobile app." SCEMD's shelter listing is at https://www.scemd.org/stay-informed/emergency-shelters/. Charleston County publishes its own event-driven list at https://www.charlestoncounty.gov/departments/emergency-management/shelters.php ; as checked on 2026-09-04 that page read "No shelters available at this time." The county states it "provides general population shelters for citizens who have been evacuated from their homes, for those who live in low-lying areas, and for others seeking shelter." SCEMD's published Shelter Analysis under the 2024 HES "[e]xamines the storm surge vulnerability of every identified shelter location to verify its potential use," and its Behavioral Analysis estimates "Roughly 4 – 6% of people plan to utilize public evacuation shelters." On pets, the Guide states "Counties may have temporary shelters for pets" and that shelter animals should not be relied on "unless necessary"; general-population shelters "may lack cots, blankets, and other amenities." Charleston County Emergency Management is the point of contact for shelter and emergency-transportation questions at (843) 746-3800. No specific shelter should be treated as a standing Mount Pleasant shelter.