Winter storm Pax has completely passed through the state and weather conditions are mostly clear however some counties have now transitioned from de-icing operations to debris removal operations. Fallen trees are a significant problem in many counties, especially south of the I-20 corridor.
As of Friday morning, most counties were continueing to report snow and ice on secondary roads and bridges with the exception of coastal areas and the southern part of the Upstate. Interstates and primary routes are in fair to relatively good condition with some isolated patches of snow and ice.
Overnight temperatures dropped below freezing in much of the state, areas remain covered with snow and debris. Fallen trees are a significant problem. Travel may be hazardous, especially on secondary roads. State offices are closed for the day in 16 counties and delayed in 20 others.
As of 10 a.m. this morning (Friday) the following information was being reported by various agencies:
·227,835 power outages are being reported across the state. This is down from 346,000 outages reported at 11 a.m. on Thursday (highest total since incident began). Utility crews continue working to resolve the issues and assess the damages.
·The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) forces in most districts are still working continuously on rotating 12-hour shifts. Contractors and local government partners are also assisting with snow and vegetation debris removal operations in many counties. The Ravenel Bridge is now open. SCDOT has 796 maintenance employees and 436 pieces of equipment actively involved in road operations. Crews have used 15,617 tons of salt, 6,163 tons of sand, 70,401 gallons of calcium chloride and 1,379,982 gallons of salt brine since the incident began.
·The South Carolina Highway Patrol continues to send additional units throughout the state to assist in responding to incidents. Since operations began officers have responded to 4,510 incidents, including 311 abandoned vehicles, 1366 motorists assisted, 1,305 collisions, 128 traffic hazards, and 1,183 trees in the roadway. These numbers are significantly higher than normal operations.
·There are 40 general population shelters and warming centers housing 555 citizens. 110 American Red Cross employees and volunteers are currently working the winter weather response.
·There are 9 DHEC special medical needs shelters currently operating with 42 occupants. 26 DHEC personnel are manning these locations. In addition, DHEC has coordinated transportation requests for several shelter staff and shelterees. 4 hospitals and 1 nursing home were operating on generator power over the past 24 hours, all have been restored. One nursing home was evacuated successfully on Thursday due to a fire.
·The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) has responded to 48 resource requests over the course of the incident. These resource requests include generators, debris removal, transportation assistance, and National Guard support. Also, the SEOC has submitted an Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) request for 20,000 additional tons of road salt.
·232 National Guard soldiers are supporting first responders and other state and local agencies. 7 wrecker teams are assisting SCHP. SCNG debris removal teams are assisting with Aiken County road clearing efforts. SC NG dump trucks are supporting DOT with hauling salt from Charleston. Additionally, SCNG is provided 4-wheel drive vehicle support for Anderson and Abbeville counties.
·SLED and SCDNR continue to support Highway Patrol with personnel and equipment to resolve traffic and roadway issues. Additionally, SLED and SCDNR have provided transportation support for critical medical personnel and other critical medical needs.
·Officers from Parks, Recreation and Tourism continue to provide physical security of the SEOC along with tracking SERT personnel entering and exiting the building.
·The Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) continues to coordinate support of state operations, primarily with critical personnel transport. An urban search and rescue team from Hilton Head Island is assisting Aiken County with clearing public access areas, damage assessment and checking on residents.
·SCEMD and SERT Agencies will be pushing out information in real time via social feeds. For the quickest access to information, discussions and more, follow: : @SCEMD, , @SCDPS_PIO, @SCDOTpress, @SCNationalGuard, @RedCrossSC, @NWSGSP, @NWSColumbia, @NWSCharlestonSC, @NWSwilmingtonNC, @femaregion4
