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South Carolina has averaged 23 tornadoes each year since 2014. During this period, there have been a total of 9 tornado-related fatalities. South Carolina ranks twenty-second in the United States in the number of tornado occurrences, and eighth in the number of tornadoes per square mile. While…
Gov. McMaster Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Winter Storm
January 21, 2026 Governor Henry McMaster today issued Executive Order 2026-02 declaring a State of Emergency in preparation for a winter storm system expected to impact the state beginning Saturday and continuing through the weekend, possibly into Monday. The governor's order activates the South…
RETURN AND INITIAL RECOVERY INFORMATION FOR RESIDENTS AFFECTED BY HURRICANE MATTHEW
October 10, 2016 COLUMBIA, S.C. – Residents affected by hurricane Matthew should continue monitoring local news sources and verified, official social media feeds for the most up to date information about communities and what to do when returning home. Returning Home At the request of local…
SCEMD prepares residents returning home after Tropical Depression Florence
September 16, 2018 COLUMBIA, S.C. (Sunday, September 16, 2018) – Residents affected by Tropical Depression Florence should continue monitoring local news sources and verified, official social media feeds for the most up-to-date information about communities and what to do when returning home.…
South Carolina Winter Weather Preparedness Week
December 3, 2018 Columbia, S.C. - Governor Henry McMaster has proclaimed the week of December 2 through December 8, 2018, as South Carolina Winter Weather Preparedness Week. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division and the National Weather Service along with the agencies that comprise the…
South Carolina Winter Weather Preparedness Week (1)
November 27, 2019 Columbia, S.C. (Wednesday, November 27) - Governor Henry McMaster has proclaimed the week of December 1 through December 7, 2019, as South Carolina Winter Weather Preparedness Week. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division and the National Weather Service along with the…
South Carolina Winter Weather Preparedness Week 2021
November 29, 2021 Columbia, S.C. (Monday, November 29) - Governor Henry McMaster has proclaimed the week of November 28 through December 4, 2021, as South Carolina Winter Weather Preparedness Week. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division and the National Weather Service along with the…
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…
Gov. Henry McMaster Announces Team South Carolina County Day in Greenwood
October 17, 2024 Governor Henry McMaster and Lieutenant Governor Pamela S. Evette today announced that state and federal officials and representatives from nonprofits will hold an additional Team South Carolina County Day in Greenwood on Tuesday, October 22. Team South Carolina County Days provide…
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…
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) are free notifications delivered to your mobile device as part of a public safety system provided by Authorized Senders. The alerts are designed to inform you of imminent threats to safety or missing persons alerts in your area (e.g., AMBER Alerts). To receive…
Wildfires can be attributed to many different causes, but most of them involve human carelessness. Escaped debris burns are the number one cause of wildfires in South Carolina, responsible for more wildfire ignitions than all other causes combined. Other leading causes include equipment use…
South Carolina Should Prepare for Hurricane Irma
September 6, 2017 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 Irma impacting the state. The executive order enables all state…
SCEMD Monitors Hurricane Arthur
July 1, 2014 The South Carolina Emergency Management Division continues to follow the latest information on Hurricane Arthur. Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center have issued a Tropical Storm Watch for Horry and Georgetown Counties. The storm's direct impacts to the state are expected to…
Governor Nikki Haley Urges Residents to Prepare for Hurricane Matthew
October 4, 2016 COLUMBIA, S.C. - Governor Nikki Haley today issued an executive order declaring a State of Emergency and asked residents to prepare for a potential evacuation of the South Carolina coast in advance of any impact from Hurricane Matthew. As state officials continue to monitor weather…
Gov. Henry McMaster Announces Opioid Emergency Response Plan
June 20, 2018 COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster today announced the South Carolina Opioid Emergency Response Plan , which details strategy and guidance developed to support state and local efforts to combat the opioid epidemic. The state Opioid Emergency Response Plan was developed as part…
September 10, 2018 COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster, in coordination with local officials, has issued Executive Order 2018-29, which orders the evacuation of coastal South Carolina residents for their personal safety as Hurricane Florence approaches. Residents in all hurricane evacuation…
2020 Hurricane Season: Time, Space, People, Place
May 28, 2020 Columbia, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster has proclaimed May 31 through June 6 to be South Carolina Hurricane Preparedness Week. Residents, businesses and communities in South Carolina should begin preparations for the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Advanced preparation and planning…
SCEMD sends logistics chief to Kentucky
December 15, 2021 Governor Henry McMaster has authorized the South Carolina Emergency Management Division to send its Chief of Operations Support and Logistics to Kentucky to assist with tornado response and recovery efforts. The request for assistance from Kentucky came through the Emergency…
Team South Carolina Responds to Tropical Storm Debby
August 6, 2024 Team South Carolina continues to respond to Tropical Storm Debby's ongoing impacts on the state. The State Emergency Operations Center is fully operational and staffed by emergency personnel from multiple state agencies and emergency organizations 24 hours a day. As of 2 p.m. today,…
