SC Governor Declares State of Emergency as Hurricane Helene Approaches

SC Governor Declares State of Emergency as Hurricane Helene Approaches

September 25, 2024, COLUMBIA — In anticipation of the impending arrival of Hurricane Helene, South Carolina Governor, Henry McMaster, declared a state of emergency today. The hurricane is forecasted to make landfall along the Florida panhandle Thursday evening. This declaration sets in motion South Carolina’s emergency plan.

The hurricane’s current projected path indicates that it will hit the Florida panhandle Thursday morning, boasting wind speeds in excess of 110 mph. From there, it’s expected to proceed up along the borders of Georgia and Alabama, and into Tennessee. However, nearly all of South Carolina is expected to be targeted by tropical-storm-force winds. Moreover, a storm surge of up to three feet could potentially sweep the Lowcountry coastline, spanning from the Georgia border to the South Santee River, situated north of Charleston.

Anticipated Impacts by Hurricane Helene

“Although South Carolina will likely avoid the worst of Hurricane Helene’s impacts, the storm is still expected to bring about dangerous flooding, high winds, and isolated tornadoes to many parts of the state,” remarked McMaster in his declaration statement. He has since urged South Carolinians residing in the likely affected regions to start taking the necessary precautions and to keep a vigilant eye on local weather reports over the upcoming days.

In August earlier this year, Tropical Storm Debby caused significant flooding, and spun off a handful of tornadoes across the state of South Carolina. The accompanying destruction damaged various buildings and floods necessitated some evacuations, yet thankfully, none were killed.

Request for Federal Disaster Aid

Previously this month, Governor McMaster filed requests for federal disaster aid to aid those affected by Hurricane Debby. These included a plea to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for aid for the inhabitants of Charleston, Colleton, and Dorchester counties. As of Wednesday afternoon, no approval has been granted yet. Upon approval, underinsured or uninsured residents within these counties may apply for federal funds to cover the costs for home repairs and other storm-induced expenses.

McMaster also sought out assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration. On September 19, it announced that businesses situated in Berkeley and Orangeburg counties, as well as 11 other adjacent counties, qualify to apply for low-interest disaster loans.

Additional Resources for Hurricane Preparation

For locals seeking further information on hurricane preparedness, there is a guide available at hurricane.sc. Similarly, for real-time information regarding this storm, visit scemd.org.

About the author

Abraham Kenmore is a reporter covering a range of areas including elections, healthcare, and more. He comes to the SC Daily Gazette from The Augusta Chronicle, where he reported on Georgia legislators, military and housing issues.