County of Lexington officials advised local pond and dam owners to lower water levels ahead of Hurricane Florence.

The storm is anticipated to arrive at the state’s coast Thursday evening or Friday morning.

Florence is expected to bring heavy wind and rain to the Midlands area, which can impact a dam’s structural integrity, leading to the failure of the dam.

Jill Stewart of DHEC said, “If there is a dam downstream of your dam and you are lowering your water level, please call the owner of that dam to advise him or her about what you are doing.

“Before and after the storm has passed, any accumulated trash and debris should be cleared from spillways.”

DHEC also plans to notify dam owners via voice call, text messages and email to take safety steps.

“Staying alert for rising waters that may continue even after the rain has ended is important,” said Stewart.

“If problems develop such that failure of the dam might be imminent, the owner or operator of the dam should contact local public safety officials, downstream property owners and DHEC Dam Safety Program staff at 803-898-1939.”

Lexington County officials, along with officials from several municipal, county and state agencies, convened Monday morning to discuss preparations for now Category 4 Hurricane Florence.

At this time, all emergency personnel are making necessary preparations for severe weather conditions.

Residents are urged to monitor local media, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division’s social media channels as well as the County’s website www.lex-co.sc.gov and social media channels for updated information leading up to and throughout the storm.

To receive emergency messages from the County to your cell phone, sign up for the CodeRED emergency alert system by visiting https://bit.ly/2MwiiJE .