Charleston, SC - The Governor warns people living along the coast during this hurricane season. Governor Mark Sanford (web | news) toured the state today, telling people not to sit back and relax as the next major hurricane could be just around the corner.

Governor Sanford worries people might get complacent, hurricane Hugo hit 20 years ago and people need to be ready for the next big storm.

Hugo came ashore in 19-89 and left a trail of destruction people living here had never seen before. Mullinax stayed in his Mount Pleasant home as Hugo moved across the Lowcountry, a decision he regrets.

“We had so many threats throughout the decades, I just wasn’t worried about it hitting us,” said Mullinax.

But hit it did, his neighbor lost a driveway and very few trees were left standing. He learned from his mistake and when Floyd approached in the mid-90's, Mullinax packed up and left.

“Traffic was so bad, I had a friend in Goose Creek so I just turned around and stayed there,” said Mullinax.

Many Hurricane evacuation issues have been addressed over the years. Now all lanes of I-26 can be rerouted out of town, cutting down on travel times. The state stock piles supplies, three days worth of food and water for 50 thousand people. But Governor Sanford says the real issue is what you are doing to get ready.

“If the individual is not prepared, there is a piece of the puzzle that’s missing and that’s a real problem,” said Governor Sanford.

The state added nine shelters since last year, and all local emergency plans are in place. The Governor's says experts predict an average hurricane season, but average can be catastrophic if the storm hit close to home.

Even in tough economic times Governor Sanford is asking people to save some money to use during an evacuation. He says it should be part of living in the coastal areas of South Carolina.

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