President Declares Disaster for April Storm
May 2, 2020 COLUMBIA, S.C. - At the request of Governor Henry McMaster, President Donald Trump has declared a disaster exists in South Carolina as a result of severe storms and tornadoes on April 12-13, 2020. Residents who suffered storm damage in the following seven counties may now register for…
Hurricane Helene Cleanup in South Carolina
September 28, 2024 Crews with state and local agencies are assessing damage caused by Hurricane Helene and coordinating response efforts to South Carolina’s hardest hit areas. Parts of the state saw tornadoes, flooding, downed powerlines and fallen tree limbs. Residents in South Carolina who have…
Disaster Recovery Centers Opening in Kershaw, Laurens, Orangeburg Counties
October 31, 2024 Disaster Recovery Centers will open in Kershaw, Laurens and Orangeburg counties to provide in-person assistance to South Carolinians affected by Hurricane Helene. Kershaw County Kershaw County Government Center 515 Walnut St. Camden, SC 29020 Open Nov. 1-10, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Laurens…
Winter Weather Expected in South Carolina (1)
January 8, 2025 Residents in South Carolina should monitor local weather conditions and continue winter safety preparations. Forecasters with the National Weather Service predict a wintry mix of rain, sleet, freezing rain and snow for portions of the state Friday into Saturday. “While it is too…
South Carolina Urged to Prepare for Winter Weather, Extreme Cold
January 18, 2025 South Carolina residents are being urged to prepare for expected winter weather and extreme cold in the coming days. Arctic air is expected to move into the state Sunday night, with the possibility of snow and ice impacting parts of the state on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to…
The South Carolina Emergency Management Division has partnered with the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS), the lead agency for emergency traffic management, and the SC Department of Transportation (SCDOT) to provide information that pertains to emergency traffic management in the…
South Carolina Marks 10 Years Since Historic 2015 Flooding
October 1, 2025 Columbia, S.C. – October 2025 marks ten years since the historic flooding event that devastated much of South Carolina. The October 2015 flood remains one of the most widespread disasters in the state’s history, prompting a major disaster declaration in 36 counties and leading to…
South Carolina Opioid Emergency Response Team Meeting April 23, 2018 South Carolina Opioid Emergency Response Team Meeting Agenda for 4/23/2018 Read More 2018 State Hazard Mitigation Plan March 26, 2018 The South Carolina Emergency Management Division is requesting comments on the updates made to…
SCEMD attends SCEMA 2024 conference
February 26, 2024 Emergency managers throughout South Carolina came together in the Lowcountry last week for the annual South Carolina Emergency Management Association (SCEMA) conference. This event provides a platform for emergency managers to build strong relationships that can be relied upon to…
Governor Henry McMaster Requests Major Disaster Declaration Following Severe November Flooding December 13, 2024 Governor Henry McMaster today requested a Major Presidential Disaster Declaration to assist state and local recovery efforts following severe storms and heavy rainfall that caused…
State Lowers Emergency Status, Recovery Operations Expand (1) October 12, 2015 The South Carolina Emergency Response Team is transitioning to the state’s emergency operational status to level 3. OPCON 3 is the third lowest of five operational conditions and allows state agencies to continue…
Register for the Business Preparedness Workshop
October 2, 2017 The South Carolina Emergency Management Division will host AFTER MATTHEW: A Disaster Recovery Workshop for Coastal Businesses on Friday, January 26, 2018, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Providing businesses with information on how to prepare for and recover from…
S.C. Hurricane Guide Available May 28, 2017
May 28, 2017 The official 2017 S.C. Hurricane Guide will be released via newspaper subscription and rack sales Thursday, May 25 , in the Georgetown County Chronicle and the South Strand News; Friday, May 26 , in the Georgetown Times; Sunday, May 28 , in The Beaufort Gazette, the Charleston Post…
October 2015 Flooding Incident
October 10, 2015 Incident Period: October 1-23, 2015 Storm related fatalities: 19 Displaced citizens: more than 20,000 Shelters: 32 (includes standby locations) 26 counties with shelters 941 citizens sheltered Emergency meals served: more than 2,000,000 Citizens without water: 40,000 Highway…
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…
Register Now for Free FEMA/FLASH Charleston QuakeSmart Workshop
November 3, 2016 WHAT: The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP), FEMA, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH), South Carolina Department of Insurance, South Carolina Emergency Management Division , and their partners are now accepting registrations for the QuakeSmart …
For Complete Training and Event Calendar - click here To REGISTER FOR SCEMD COURSE- click here ( SCEMD Learning Management System (LMS) ) If this is your first time registering for a course, you will need to create an account in LMS to get started. Contact SCEMD Training if you have any questions…
Helpline for Shelter Locations
October 7, 2016 Columbia, S.C. – Evacuees seeking refuge from Hurricane Matthew should call 1-866-246-0133 to be directed to the nearest open emergency shelter anywhere in the state. The state’s public information phone system is operational 24 hours a day until South Carolina is no longer in…
South Carolina Hurricane Awareness Week
May 29, 2014 Governor Henry McMaster will proclaim May 28-June 3 to be 2017 South Carolina Hurricane Awareness Week. The S.C. Emergency Management Division, agencies of the State Emergency Response Team and county emergency managers will be engaged in many activities throughout the week to…
South Carolina Tracking Hurricane Ian
September 26, 2022 South Carolina residents should continue to monitor Hurricane Ian as it approaches the southeast United States. As of Monday, forecasters believe Ian could bring tropical storm force winds, heavy rainfall and isolated tornadoes to South Carolina at the end of the week. As a…