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Evacuation of Some Counties Starts at 3 PM; Others Delayed

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says because of some changes in Hurricane Matthew's forecast, the coastal evacuation is going ahead for some counties but is being delayed until Thursday for others. 

Columbia, SC (WLTX) - South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says because of some changes in Hurricane Matthew's forecast, the coastal evacuation is going ahead for some counties but is being delayed until Thursday for others.

Haley said Wednesday morning that the greater Charleston County and Beaufort County area will begin evacuations at 3 p.m. However, Georgetown and Horry Counties won't begin until Thursday morning.

RELATED: South Carolina Evacuations: What You Need to Know

"Our goal is to make sure that no lives are lost, and that people are moved out safely and get back safely," she said.

The state has set up a hotline where people can send in their questions: 1-866-246-0133.

A day earlier, Haley ordered a massive coastal evacuation that affects about 1.1 million residents. The order includes a plan to reverse lanes of several major roadways near the coast, including Interstate 26. In fact, I-26 will be reversed all the way from Charleston to Columbia.

Already, traffic is heavy along I-26 as people seek to leave the area. But finding a place to stay could be a challenge; already, Gov. Haley says hotels in the Midlands are booked. She did say, however, that there are still options in other parts of the state. She suggested people could also research their options online with Expedia or AirBNB.

State officials say right now, the gas supply statewide is good, but there have been reports of some stations running out.

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