South Carolina state, county emergency crews prepared for Hurricane Ian

YORK COUNTY, S.C. (WBTV) - Gov. Henry McMaster just declared a state of emergency in South Carolina, days ahead of Hurricane Ian hitting the state.

Gov. McMaster said the Palmetto State is ready for the impacts of Hurricane Ian, no matter what it brings here. He said the state of emergency declaration should get needed resources out even quicker, but still urged residents to be their own emergency manager.

“These storms are unpredictable, so we need to do what we can to be safe,” McMaster said.

That’s exactly what emergency managers, like Lancaster County’s Darren Player, are doing in South Carolina counties.

”Of course we hope we’ll go unscathed, but you never know until the actual event gets here,” Player said.

That is why Player said they are preparing for the worst. He said crews have been checking all the equipment, especially the kind used in water rescues.

”We could end up with situations that people aren’t careful, people might get into situations where they need to be rescued,” he said.

Player said counties in the WBTV viewing area will get hit with heavy winds and even more rain—about six inches.

Lancaster County is only set to get about four inches, but surrounding counties are going to get closer to six. He said they have to prepare for the county to get the same as other nearby counties just in case, so they’re also prepared for flash-flooding.

”The more paved surfaces we have in the county, the worse that becomes,” Player said.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is trying to help counties out by draining and clear the drain ditches in flood-prone areas.

”They’ll hopefully do their job and capture a lot of this water,” SCDOT Communications Director Pete Poore said.

SCDOT said more crews will be needed on the coast though, so that’s where they’re sending some extra people.

“It’s less likely there will be less severe damage in your areas, so we can spare some crews from those counties up there and head down to the coastal areas to help out,” Poore said.

Much of SCDOT’s work will be after the storm passes so the people who provide help after the storm, such energy companies or emergency vehicles, can do so.

WBTV reached out to Duke Energy to find out its plan so when we get that information we will share it.

Many resources can be found here on the state’s emergency management website.

Related: Lancaster County schools to go virtual on Friday as Hurricane Ian approaches

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