MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Tourists along South Carolina's northern coast planned shopping and movie trips Tuesday to escape the Tropical Storm Ophelia's rains and winds, and few people were heeding Gov. Mark Sanford's call for a voluntary evacuation along the oceanfront.
With the prediction the weather would turn nasty, visitors tried to make the best of the situation.
"If it's bad, of course we'll leave," said Sandra Hunecutt of Denver, N.C. But "this is our vacation."
The summer tourism season here is drawing to a close, but the beach was littered with walkers and even a few children playing in the sand.
Hunecutt said she was here last year - during one of the state's busiest tropical seasons in more than a century - and was familiar with making alternative beach plans.
"We brought a stack of books, so we'll probably read and go to Starbucks," said Hunecutt, 34, sipping a chocolate mocha along the shore. "It's better than being at home."
Sanford called for a voluntary evacuation in the parts of three coastal counties Tuesday, affecting people on barrier islands, oceanfront and riverside property. Schools in Georgetown and Horry counties were closed Tuesday. Coastal Carolina University and Horry-Georgetown Technical College also canceled classes.
"We're concerned with the winds more than anything," Horry County spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier said. Winds could approach 60 miles an hour or more by late Tuesday and Wednesday.
At 8 a.m. EDT, Ophelia was centered about 120 miles southeast of Myrtle Beach, the National Weather Service said. After sitting nearly stationary during part of Monday night, it had started moving north-northwest at 4 mph, with a gradual turn toward the north expected during the night or Wednesday.
Tropical storm-force wind extended out as far as 160 miles from the center, and was forecast to reach the coastline well ahead of the storm's eye.
The storm was expected to bring several inches of rain to Georgetown and Horry counties with a storm surge of six feet in low-lying areas. The area hasn't seen heavy rainfall in a while and the threat of flooding wasn't a major concern, Bourcier said.
Previous tropical systems affecting the Grand Strand have thinned out weak trees in recent years, but officials planned for downed limbs and some power outages.
Tuesday evening brought the first band of sideways rains and whipping winds, a preview of what residents and visitors knew was to come.
"At this point, we're riding it out, waiting to see what happens," said 43-year-old Chris Snyder of Baltimore. "I think the rains are going to get more intense."
Nearly three dozen people were in the county's three open shelters late Monday, emergency officials said.
The evacuation included all mobile homes, campgrounds and areas prone to flooding throughout all three counties.
"I also want to make it perfectly clear to folks throughout South Carolina that the potential for severe weather is not limited to the coast. This is a serious storm," Sanford said.
The governor also said it was time for people elsewhere to prepare for a possible mandatory evacuation.
Charleston officials also were warned of hazardous driving conditions on bridges and roads. The new Ravenel Bridge would be closed earlier than others, officials said.
"It's hard to peg a (wind) speed, and that's what everybody always wants to know," said Robert Clark, a district engineering administrator with the state Transportation Department. "When we close (bridges), it's a decision that's reached after law enforcement patrols them and feels they are no longer safe."
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