Skip to content

Dorchester County hurricane guide

The Dorchester County Emergency Management Department, in Summerville, plans for hurricanes and other disasters and runs the county Emergency Operations Center. The county has three hurricane evacuation zones, D, E, and F, along the Ashley River and creeks, the sand hills area around North Charleston, Wescott, and Oakbrook, and the Cypress Swamp and Edisto River. The county says its hurricane evacuation zones are not the same as its flood zones, and that residents of flood prone areas and mobile or manufactured homes in each zone are included.

Checked on October 8, 2026

Every phone number and web address on this page was checked against official sources on that date. Details can change, especially during a storm. Always follow instructions from Dorchester County Emergency Management Department. In a life threatening emergency, call 911.

What to know in Dorchester County

  • The county has both hurricane evacuation zones and flood zones, and they are not the same. Check both. The county keeps an interactive map for each.
  • The county Re-entry Plan gives guidance to local and state agencies for the return of businesses, residents, and visitors after an evacuation. Follow county announcements before returning to an evacuated area.

Emergency and information numbers

Service Number Notes
Emergency 911 Police, fire, and ambulance. Call only when someone's life or property is in danger.
Emergency management office 843-832-0341 Dorchester County Emergency Management Department, 212 Deming Way, Suite 3, Summerville. Office line. Not for emergencies.
Sheriff's Office non-emergency 843-832-0300 Dorchester County Sheriff's Office, 212 Deming Way, Summerville. Office line. For police matters that are not emergencies.
Evacuation traffic line 1-888-877-9151 The state Department of Transportation says it activates this toll-free number for traffic and road conditions during an evacuation or other declared emergency.
Road and traffic conditions (SC 511) 511 Evacuation routes and road closures.

Official alerts and information

  • Smart911 Dorchester County: The county's Sign Up for Emergency Alerts link goes to Smart911. Sign up before a storm. Website.
  • Dorchester County Know Your Zones: Look up your evacuation zone by address. The page also links the county flood zone map. Website.

Evacuation zones

Dorchester County has three hurricane evacuation zones. Zone D: tidal rivers, creeks, and southern swamps, including properties along the Ashley River between Ashley River Road and Dorchester Road from the Charleston County line to Bacons Bridge Rd, properties near Eagle Creek, and the Poplar Grove community. Zone E: the sand hills, North Charleston, Wescott, Oakbrook, and Miles Jamison areas, including properties east of US Highway 17A to Dorchester Road such as Summers Corner and Clubhouse Crossroads, and the part of the City of North Charleston in the county. Zone F: areas near the Cypress Swamp, the Edisto River, the Twin Lakes subdivision, and parts of The Ponds. In every zone, the county includes all residents living in flood prone areas or mobile and manufactured homes. Look up your zone by address on the county map. The county says people outside the zones may consider staying home, but damaging wind and flooding occur outside zones too. Evacuation tips from the county: plan primary and alternate routes; there is no access to the reversed eastbound lanes of I-26 west of College Park Rd, exit 203, while access to the westbound lanes is available west of exit 203; leave early and in daylight; dial 511 for traffic.

Look up your evacuation zone

Evacuation centers

Open only when announced

Evacuation centers open only when officials announce them, and not every center opens for every storm. Check the official list of open centers before you leave home. Bring your own bedding, food, water, and medicines.

Dorchester County did not publish a standing list of shelters on the pages checked. Shelters open only when announced, so do not go to a site until it is announced as open. Check county alerts and the state shelter page for open shelters. The county notes that many hotels and evacuation shelters do not allow pets, so plan where your pet can go.

Official list of open evacuation centers

Cities and towns

Each city has its own services and some have their own alerts. The county's evacuation zones, evacuation centers, and emergency alerts cover everyone, in every city and in unincorporated areas.

  • Town of Harleyville
  • Town of Lincolnville (partly in Dorchester County)
  • City of North Charleston (partly in Dorchester County). Official website
  • Town of Reevesville
  • Town of Ridgeville
  • Town of St. George
  • Town of Summerville. Official website

Sources

Checked on October 8, 2026. If a number or address here is wrong, please tell us at Keith@KMyers.me.