Gov. McMaster talks hurricane preparedness in the Lowcountry
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WSPA) — Governor Henry McMaster has declared the month of May as South Carolina Hurricane Preparedness Month.'Make the best of the time right now, we still have time, and that means taking the opportunity to, assess and finalize your long-term storm preparations,' said Kim Stenson, the director of the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD).
The agency's guidebook has the resources that residents can use to prepare for the season.
Gov. McMaster walked around multiple information stands outside the SCEMD, that offered additional resources for state residents.
The official Atlantic hurricane season, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), starts June 1 and ends November 30.
'Tropical cyclones sometimes form outside of these dates, mainlyin May and December,' a guide from SCDNR reads. 'South Carolina has been affected by 13 tropical cyclones during May, with seven of those impacts occurring since 2007.
McMaster said during the 2025 hurricane season, every storm hitting the state will be a disaster, but the most important thing is to save lives.
'A disaster does not have to have a loss of life with preparation and understanding what's happening,' the governor said. 'We lost 49 people in Hurricane Helene — [that's] the most [people] we have ever lost in a hurricane. It was a mess and there's still people who don't have homes.'
Stenson said the SCEMD has been in contact with FEMA; the federal agency indicated they will provide services during hurricane season to the state.
'There may be some modifications in the funding levels and some of the requirements that we have to, to go through to actually get the grant,' Stenson said. 'But it's as far as we know, they're still in existence.'
When McMaster was asked about President Donald Trump's discussions regarding FEMA being pulled back, he said South Carolina officials have taken the lead.
'That's why our state and have his team has been recognized as the finest in the country,' McMaster remarked.
Officials urged South Carolinians to 'know their zone' before the hurricanes hit, so residents can properly prepare for evacuation.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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