Governor McMaster Commends State Leaders for Irma Response

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)- Governor Henry McMaster said Tuesday’s briefing will most likely be his last regarding Irma. Now he is looking ahead, focusing on how to best clean up the debris the storm left behind.

After permitting barrier island residents to go back home, Governor McMaster made a trip to the Lowcountry to survey the damage Irma left behind. Adjutant General Bob Livingston said his the island was impacted but his team saw minimal structural damage in Beaufort County.

Before he left, he joined other leaders around the state in saying things are getting back to normal. “Many of our shelters are closing this morning and will continue to close throughout the day as residents are returning home,” said Department of Social Services Director Dr. Susan Alford.

“We were able to get most of the roads reopened overnight. We have just a few pockets of closed roads across the state, nothing significant,” said Department of Transportation Secretary Christy Hall.

A major priority for agencies was recovery and evaluation. “Counties will begin their damage assessment today not that it is safe to get out in the area and we will be able to assist those counties with damage assessment if they need it,” said SCEMD Director Kim Stenson.

With few known deaths related to the storm, the governor said he was proud of the way agencies heads known as Team South Carolina handled the severe weather. “As far as preparedness goes, we were very prepared. Team South Carolina is in terrific. We have some experience and also some dedicated people at all levels of government,” said Governor McMaster.

If you are in need of assistance with storm cleanup, you are encouraged to call 2-1-1 from a landline or cell phone. The 2-1-1 app is also avaliable for download in the App Store and Google Play. For more information visit their website, www.sc211.org.