COLUMBIA, S.C. – As the 2022 hurricane season officially begins, the South Carolina Department of Health and Control (DHEC) reminds residents to be prepared for severe weather and also reminds residents of the key roles DHEC plays in helping our state prepare for, respond to, and recover from weather events such as hurricanes and tropical storms.
While the South Carolina Emergency Management Division is the primary coordinating agency during a severe weather event, DHEC is responsible for several actions and efforts that help protect the public, property, and the environment, including:
• Overseeing and assisting with the evacuation (and reopening, after the storm) of hospitals and long-term care facilities, when requested by local officials.
• Coordinating Medical Needs Shelters for people whose medical conditions exceed the capabilities of the general population shelters but are not severe enough to require a hospital stay.
•Helping ensure our state’s dam owners take preparations to reduce the risk of dam failure; performing in-field pre- and post-storm dam assessments; and providing contractual resources to dam owners, if needed.
• Utilizing the statewide Care Line call center to provide real-time public health and health-department related information.
• Closing shellfish harvesting areas that are impacted by high levels of bacteria due to excess rain or other factors during a severe storm.
• Assisting well owners with monitoring for possible contamination of their well water.
• Providing health services, like vaccines or WIC (Women, Infants, Children) services through health departments, off-site events or mobile resources.
• Providing important information about how to return safely to your home after an evacuation, especially after flood waters recede.
DHEC’s Public Health Preparedness Program, which was recently ranked among the top tier nationally for emergency preparedness, is comprised of emergency response professionals who take part in year-long trainings and exercises to help maintain coordination among other agencies and local communities when severe weather threats and other emergencies occur.
Learn more about DHEC’s role during a severe weather event, at scdhec.gov. Visit the South Carolina Emergency Management Division’s website at www.scemd.org or hurricane.sc for important information about its role as the primary coordinating agency during an emergency event in South Carolina.
For eastern states, the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.