Team SC Continues Hurricane Helene Recovery Efforts, Tracking Hurricane Milton

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October 7, 2024

As South Carolina continues its recovery efforts from the impacts of Hurricane Helene, state and local officials are closely monitoring Hurricane Milton, which is currently situated in the Gulf of Mexico.

Current Situation:

  • As of the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Milton is moving at 9 mph with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph. 
  • The storm is projected to make landfall along the west coast of Florida Wednesday.
  • South Carolina could be impacted by Milton late Wednesday through Thursday.
  • Gusty winds are possible across eastern parts of the state.
  • Significant coastal flooding is possible along portions of the central and southern SC coast, especially on Thursday.

"While we are still in recovery mode from Hurricane Helene, our priority remains recovery from Hurricane Helene as we face the threat of Hurricane Milton," said Kim Stenson, Director of the South Carolina Emergency Management Division. "We encourage everyone to stay informed and heed the advice of local authorities as this situation develops."

As the state makes significant strides in recovery from Hurricane Helene, local utility companies continue to restore power to impacted areas, and debris removal operations are ongoing.

South Carolina's state agencies and local partners report the following as of 2:00 p.m. today:

The South Carolina Emergency Management Division remains at OPCON 2. There have been over 1,000 logistical requests. The requests range from shelter assistance to debris removal.

  • Thousands of line workers are working to make power repairs. As of 2:00 p.m. 46,663 storm related outages were reported. At the height of the storm over 1.37 million outages were reported.
  • SCDOT has shifted from responding to Hurricane Helene to recovering from it. Crews are focused on restoring roads in the impacted areas. Debris crews are mobilizing now to begin work on interstate and primary routes first and then secondary and neighborhood routes.
  • Seven general population shelters are currently in operation. View shelter information here.
  • The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) Care Line has received a total of 1,694 calls and has returned to its normal hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. DPH has distributed 2,613 oxygen tanks to county partners.
  • The South Carolina National Guard has activated more than 1,200 Soldiers and Airmen, and more than 200 vehicles and aircraft, including hoist and emergency aviation assets, debris removal and high-water vehicles. They have fielded 152 resource requests, completed 60 missions, and are currently executing 70 active missions in 18 counties to support and coordinate emergency response missions and requests in those counties.
  • Highway Patrol Troopers and State Transport Police Officers with the South Carolina Department of Public Safety have responded to 9,282 calls for service since storm operations began.

 

  • The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) Dam Safety Team has assessed the post-storm condition of 269 state-regulated dams with no significant issues reported or observed. SCDES continues to work with drinking water and wastewater facilities in impacted areas and is working to approve additional debris management sites to help communities dispose of storm debris. Private well owners whose wells may have been impacted by stormwater from Helene can call the SCDES Private Well Hotline (1-888-761-5989) to learn how they can test their well water.

 

  • The South Carolina Department of Commerce continues utilizing public and private partners to identify county and business-related needs following Hurricane Helene. Businesses are encouraged to contact the ESF 24 desk (803-737-8524 or esf24@emd.sc.gov) for assistance and to report damage.

Volunteers will be needed for months and even years after the disaster, especially in the long-term recovery phase. Explore all volunteer and donation opportunities through the South Carolina Emergency Management Division at https://www.scemd.org/recover/volunteer-and-donate/. 

Residents can also use the Damage Assessment tool in the SC Emergency Manager app to report property damage to authorities. Download the app on the App Store and on Google Play: http://onelink.to/dn92rx.