Columbia, S.C. – Residents in areas affected by Monday’s storms should continue to use caution when traveling while crews continue cleaning up debris. Some roads remain impassable.
Governor Henry McMaster on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in response to the devastation caused by Monday morning’s severe storms, including tornadoes. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division is assisting affected counties. Initial damage assessment teams have determined at least 911 homes in 21 counties sustained some type of damage. Of those, 181 homes have major damage and 111 were destroyed. As damage assessments continue with county emergency mangers, this initial estimate is expected to change.
As of 3 p.m. Wednesday:
- The National Weather Service has confirmed at least 11 tornadoes occurred in South Carolina Monday.
- Utilities report 16,355 power outages statewide, down from more than 290,000 yesterday.
- County firefighters and State firefighter mobilization teams deployed to Hampton, Oconee and Orangeburg counties to augment search and rescue operations.
- SCDOT reports that 2,500 roads were impassable due to debris. 99% have been reopened.
- SCEMD received two requests for resources from local emergency managers for helicopters to assist with damage assessment.
- Local coroners confirmed nine storm-related fatalities in Colleton, Hampton, Oconee and Orangeburg counties.
- The American Red Cross is sheltering 236 displaced residents in hotels.
- SLED, the Department of Natural Resources along with Probation, Pardon and Parole officers assisted with search and rescue operations and augmented law enforcement efforts.
Residents can help state and local emergency managers determine the scope of storm damage throughout the state. Anyone who sustained damage Monday should report it using the damage assessment tool in the SC Emergency Manager mobile app in the Apple App Store (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sc-emergency-manager/id1378105431?mt=8) and on Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.scemd.app).