South Carolina Prepares for Hurricane Ian

September 28, 2022 Hurricane Ian is now expected to cross Florida and bring tropical storm conditions to much of South Carolina, according to forecasters with the National Hurricane Center. People in South Carolina should expect high winds, heavy rain, flash flooding, flooding due to storm surge…

South Carolina Tracking Tropical Storm Idalia

August 28, 2023 South Carolina residents should prepare for Tropical Storm Idalia, which forecasters say will become a hurricane today, and could affect many parts of the state after making landfall along the west coast of Florida. While forecasters with the National Weather Service and the…

Prepare for Severe Weather Tuesday

January 8, 2024 South Carolina residents should prepare for severe weather expected to impact the state Tuesday. As of this morning, Forecasters with the National Weather Service predict widespread damaging winds and the possibility of tornados, heavy rains and flash flooding, with the most severe…

Gov. Henry McMaster's Federal Major Disaster Declaration Approved

September 30, 2024 Governor Henry McMaster announced that South Carolina's September 28 request for an Expedited Major Presidential Disaster Declaration to provide federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in response to Hurricane Helene has been approved . The initial list of…

South Carolina Operational Radiological Emergency Response Plan

The purpose of the South Carolina Operational Radiological Emergency Response Plan (SCORERP) is to provide a framework of actions necessary for emergency operations in response to an incident at a Nuclear Power Plant in South Carolina. SCORERP is Appendix 2 to the South Carolina Emergency…

Know Your Zone

SCEMD wants you to Know Your Zone. South Carolina residents and visitors can learn about hurricane evacuation zones and their vulnerability to storm surge on South Carolina’s coast with our Know Your Zone interactive map below. It’s very simple to use. Simply enter your address or the address of…

Health and Safety Important in Clean-up Following Flood

October 10, 2015 As people start cleaning up the mess left behind by severe flooding, they need to take added steps to protect their own health and safety. Assume everything touched by flood water is contaminated and will have to be disinfected. Most clean-up can be done with household cleaning…

Governor Declares State of Emergency (1)

September 8, 2018 COLUMBIA, S.C. (Saturday, September 8, 1:30 p.m.) – Governor Henry McMaster today issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency and, along with the S.C. Emergency Management Division, has urged South Carolinians to prepare for the possibility of Hurricane Florence…

Monitor Hurricane Isaias

July 31, 2020 COLUMBIA, S.C. – Residents in South Carolina should begin the necessary preparations for the possible effects of Hurricane Isaias. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division is monitoring the storm, which forecasters say could affect the state beginning next week. “We’ve been…

Prepare for Another Round of Winter Weather

January 20, 2022 The South Carolina Emergency Management Division asks residents to prepare themselves and their homes for possible winter weather. The National Weather Service predicts the possibility of snow, freezing rain and ice accumulations in much of the state lasting into Saturday. “South…

Emergency Alerts

Emergency Alerts Residents should have several ways to receive critical, life safety information during an emergency. Federal, state and local public safety officials will use the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System to send emergency information directly to mobile devices, local broadcast…

Team South Carolina Continues Response Efforts

September 29, 2024 In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Team South Carolina continues to work around the clock to respond as the state transitions into recovery. Power and gas restoration, road clearing, emergency alerting, and sheltering operations remain top priorities for the State Emergency…

2016 News Releases

Winter Weather Preparedness Week December 4, 2016 COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Nikki Haley has proclaimed the week of December 4 through December 10, 2016, as South Carolina Winter Weather Preparedness Week. Read More About Winter Weather Preparedness Week S.C. Residents Have Two Weeks to Apply for…

Certification

The South Carolina Certified Emergency Manager program was created to raise and maintain professional standards in emergency management and to certify achievement of that standard within the profession in South Carolina. The program was developed in a cooperation between the South Carolina…

Total Eclipse Safety Tips

August 21, 2017 On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will be visible along a thin, roughly 100 mile-wide path that runs diagonally across America from Oregon to South Carolina. Beginning around 2:38 p.m. on Monday, August 21, 2017, viewers who have gathered in areas like Greenville, Columbia…

Earthquake Guide Now Available Statewide

October 1, 2014 COLUMBIA, S.C. (Wednesday, October 1, 2014, 10:00 a.m.) – The South Carolina Earthquake Guide is available for the first time statewide via the Senior P.R.E.P. section at every Walgreens store in the state. The S.C. Earthquake Guide is the first publication that details South…

S.C.’s new personal emergency app, new SCEMD website

May 29, 2018 Columbia, S.C. (Tuesday, May 29, 2018) – Residents in South Carolina now have a new mobile tool to help them be personally prepared for large-scale emergencies, such as hurricanes. The S.C. Emergency Management Division recently unveiled the SC Emergency Manager , a smartphone app…

S.C. launches new site for business reentry certification

August 29, 2018 Columbia, S.C. – Businesses in South Carolina now have a new automated online tool to register for post-disaster reentry following evacuations for large-scale emergencies. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division launched the new site in collaboration with South Carolina…

SCEMD Monitors Hurricane Elsa

July 2, 2021 The South Carolina Emergency Management Division is monitoring Hurricane Elsa, which forecasters say could affect the South Carolina next week. As a result of the storm’s projected movement toward the southeast United States, key local and state agencies have been notified to be ready…

SCEMD Achieves National Reaccreditation (1)

November 29, 2023 The Emergency Management Accreditation Program has granted the South Carolina Emergency Management Division full national accreditation. This national certification program examined the state's ability to respond to and prepare for disasters. SCEMD was first accredited in 2008…