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…
Evacuation Orders Lifted for Beaufort and Jasper Counties
October 9, 2016 COLUMBIA, S.C. – In coordination with local officials, Governor Nikki Haley on Sunday announced that evacuation orders have been lifted for all residents in Beaufort and Jasper counties as of 6:30 PM. At the request of local officials, evacuation orders for zones in Georgetown and…
Evacuation Orders Lifted For Charleston, Dorchester, Berkeley And Colleton Counties
October 9, 2016 COLUMBIA, S.C. – In coordination with local officials, Governor Nikki Haley on Sunday announced that evacuation orders have been lifted for all residents in Charleston, Dorchester, Berkeley and Colleton counties as of 10:00 AM. At the request of local officials, evacuation orders…
Disaster Recovery Center Opening in Darlington County
October 17, 2018 COLUMBIA, S.C. – The State of South Carolina and FEMA are opening a Disaster Recovery Center in Darlington (Darlington County) Wednesday, Oct. 17. Eight additional centers are open in the areas affected by Hurricane Florence. The centers offer in-person support to individuals and…
STATE PUBLIC HOTLINE ACTIVATED
September 8, 2017 Residents in South Carolina who have questions about Hurricane Irma can now call the state’s toll-free hotline. Operators with the Public Information Phone System (PIPS) are available 24 hours a day for as long as is needed. If you have questions about Hurricane Irma, such as…
Residents Should Ask to See Identification of Hurricane Matthew Relief Workers
October 10, 2016 COLUMBIA, S.C. – Residents in affected counties are encouraged to be mindful of possible scams associated with the recovery efforts of hurricane Matthew. Thousands of disaster workers will be coming into the state from all over the country. People affected by Matthew should take a…
DANGEROUS CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT SOUTH CAROLINA
October 8, 2016 COLUMBIA, S.C. - The S.C. Emergency Response Team strongly reminds all citizens coastal evacuation orders are still in effect. Hurricane Matthew began impacting the state this morning with hurricane and tropical storm-force winds, heavy rain and flooding along the coast and far…
August 6, 2024 Residents in South Carolina who have questions about Tropical Storm Debby can now call the state’s toll-free hotline. Operators with the State’s Public Information Phone System are available 24 hours a day for as long as needed. If you have questions about Tropical Storm Debby, such…
November 1, 2016 COLUMBIA, S.C. (Tuesday, Nov. 1) – With so much attention given to businesses and homeowners, survivors who are renters may think they are not eligible for disaster assistance even though they suffered losses from the storms and floods spawned by Hurricane Matthew. But they are.…
S.C. Survivors Can Get Aid from State, Federal and Voluntary Agencies
November 16, 2018 Hurricane Florence survivors in South Carolina still have time to apply for federal disaster assistance. But you may need help beyond what FEMA can offer. Assistance may be available from other federal, state and volunteer organizations. STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA The S.C. Emergency…
FEMA and South Carolina to Open Community Vaccination Center at Columbia Place Mall April 14
April 12, 2021 FEMA, partnering with the state of South Carolina, Richland County, and city of Columbia, is opening a Community Vaccination Center (CVC) site at the Columbia Place Mall. This site at 7201 Two Notch Road will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily beginning Wednesday, April 14. The…
Clean up effort now underway in areas of South Carolina impacted by Tropical Storm Debby
August 9, 2024 State and local agencies continue to assess the full extent of damage caused by Tropical Storm Debby as response crews across South Carolina continue to clear roads of trees and debris in hard-hit area. Residents can help with clean-up efforts by using the Damage Assessment tool in…
SCEMD Tracking Tropical Storm Helene
September 24, 2024 Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina Emergency Management Division is actively monitoring Tropical Storm Helene, which will soon be entering the Gulf of Mexico and could significantly impact the state in the coming days. As of Tuesday, forecasters believe Helene could bring heavy…
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…
Gov. Henry McMaster Orders Evacuations for Barrier Islands in Colleton, Beaufort and Jasper Counties
September 8, 2017 Governor Henry McMaster today ordered the evacuation of certain barrier islands in Beaufort, Colleton and Jasper Counties. Due to the potential impact of Hurricane Irma, residents on those islands should prepare to evacuate their homes beginning tomorrow, Saturday, September 9 at…
October 14, 2016 COLUMBIA, S.C. (Friday, October 14)– The South Carolina Emergency Response Team remains fully dedicated to ongoing relief and recovery efforts as a result of Hurricane Matthew and flooding in the Pee Dee region. The state Emergency Operations Center is activated at Operating…
While there have not been any successful acts of terrorism committed in South Carolina in recent years, the state has many critical and high-profile facilities, high concentrations of population and other potentially-attractive venues for terrorist activity that are inherently vulnerable to a…
All thunderstorms are dangerous. Every thunderstorm produces lightning. In the United States, an average of 300 people are injured and 80 people are killed each year by lightning. Although most lightning victims survive, people struck by lightning often report a variety of long-term, debilitating…
SCEMD Hosts Full-Scale Exercise to Prepare for Pipeline Disruption During Cold Snap
March 14, 2025 The South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) hosted a full-scale exercise this week, bringing together members of the South Carolina Emergency Response Team (SERT) and local partners from across the state, as well federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and…
Governor Henry McMaster Secures FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant for Upstate Fires
March 24, 2025 Governor Henry McMaster today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved South Carolina’s request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) to support efforts to contain the Table Rock Fire in Pickens County and the Persimmon Ridge Fire in…