South Carolina’s state agencies and local partners also responded to Helene including the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD).
“Priorities here at the State Emergency Operations Center are maintaining communications, road clearing, and power restoration.” said Director Kim Stenson. “Our primary focus currently includes search and rescue operations, possible local evacuations, sheltering, communications restorations, and road clearing.”
Many upstate and midlands counties were reporting blocked roads due to downed power lines and trees following the storm, SCEMD officials said.
SCEMD fielded 72 logistical requests for shelter support and debris clearance.
SCEMD also reported thousands of line workers were working around the clock to make power repairs. At the height of the storm over 1.4 million outages were reported.
The South Carolina Department of Public Health contacted 144 health care facilities to check on their power/electricity status and assist with any needs.
Road safety remains a top priority, with 236 South Carolina Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol Troopers and State Transport Police Officers assigned to traffic incident response. As of Tuesday, 152 officers and troopers were assigned.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation shifted to 24-hour operations with approximately 2,300 personnel mobilized.
The South Carolina National Guard has 115 service members on state active duty.
Though most main roads have been cleared of fallen trees and limbs, the clean-up continues.
SCEMD said residents in low-lying areas should remain vigilant and follow guidance issued by local emergency officials.
Residents can help with clean-up efforts by using the Damage Assessment tool in the SC Emergency Manager mobile app to report any damage to their property.
SCEMD’s Dam Safety team was in the process of performing post-storm dam assessments at approximately 200 high-hazard dams in areas of the state that received eight-inches of precipitation or more.
You can go to the SCEMD webiste at www.scemd.org for more information and updates.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has declared a Public Health Emergency for South Carolina.
“We will do all we can to help officials in South Carolina and Tennessee respond to the health impacts of Hurricane Helene,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “We are working closely with state and local health authorities, as well as with our partners across the federal government, and stand ready to provide additional public health and medical support.”
The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has deployed approximately 200 personnel. These experts include Health Care Situational Assessment Teams which are working with state and local officials to assess the storm’s impacts to hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis centers, and other health care facilities.
ASPR’s Health and Medical Task Forces and Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) from the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) have begun to provide medical care in North Carolina.
The Asheville, Hendersonville area was hit extremely hard by Helene, with widespread damage and flooding.
NDMS teams travel with federal medical equipment and supplies. So far, HHS has deployed approximately 29 trucks – 192.5 tons – of equipment and supplies for NDMS teams’ use in providing patient care in affected areas. In addition, subject matter experts from NDMS’ Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team have been activated to provide expertise in impacted areas.
“Hundreds of dedicated medical professionals from ASPR are engaged in the disaster response to help citizens affected by Hurricane Helene,” said Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell. “We will do everything we can to support the states as they work to bring the local health care infrastructure back to normal operations.”
President Joe Biden issued emergency declarations for South Carolina and visited the Upstate Wednesday to meet with State and local officials.
HHS agencies are using every possible means to assist impacted state health departments and healthcare facilities and will remain engaged until each state determines federal public health and medical assistance is no longer needed. HHS has already taken the following proactive measures to support the needs of the region:
The HHS emPOWER program, is available to identify the number of Medicare beneficiaries in affected zip codes who rely on electricity-dependent durable medical equipment and certain healthcare services, such as dialysis, oxygen tank, or home health, to help anticipate, plan for, and respond to the needs of at-risk citizens in potentially impacted areas.
The HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers free crisis counseling through the Disaster Distress Helpline. This toll-free, multilingual, crisis support service is available 24/7 to all residents in the U.S. and its territories who are experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters. To connect with a trained counselor, call or text 1-800-985-5990. Spanish speakers can press “2” for bilingual support. Callers also can connect with counselors in more than 100 other languages via third-party interpretation services by indicating their preferred language to the responding counselor.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry have many website health and safety materials available, including storm safety, food safety, and power outage safety information. CDC/ATSDR has shared vital health and safety messaging and communication materials with public health officials in impacted states.
FEMA –
Did you experience damage from Hurricane Helene? If you live in
Aiken, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Cherokee, Greenville,
Greenwood, Lexington, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Saluda or
Spartanburg counties, FEMA may be able to help with serious
needs, displacement, home repair or other expenses. To apply, go
online to Disaster Assistance dot gov, use the FEMA app for mobile
devices or call 800-621-3362. That number again is 800-621
3362.
South Carolina homeowners and renters in 13 counties who had uninsured damage or losses caused by Hurricane Helene may be eligible for FEMA disaster assistance.
FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs. Homeowners and renters in Aiken, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Lexington, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Saluda and Spartanburg counties can apply.
There are several ways to apply: Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA App or call 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET daily. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
To view an accessible video on how to apply, visit Three Ways to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTube.
FEMA’s disaster assistance offers new benefits that provide flexible funding directly to survivors. In addition, a simplified process and expanded eligibility allows South Carolinians access to a wider range of assistance and funds for serious needs.
What You’ll Need When You Apply
A current phone number where you can be contacted.
Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying.
Your Social Security number.
A general list of damage and losses.
Banking information if you choose direct deposit.
If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name.
If you have homeowners, renters, or flood insurance, you should file a claim as soon as possible. FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If your policy does not cover all your disaster expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance.
For the latest information about South Carolina’s recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4829.
Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.
