COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – Governor Henry McMaster and other officials spoke Wednesday afternoon about Hurricane Idalia and its impacts on the state.
Idalia’s impacts were felt throughout the state, especially in the Midlands and Lowcountry.
State leaders said their experience with previous tropical systems and the impacts South Carolina has seen played a significant role in getting prepared for Hurricane Idalia.
“The main thing is communication, collaboration and cooperation has gotten a lot better. And that experience, with these things and I guess some of the instruments you use to predict things have gotten better as well,” Governor McMaster said. “But these storms are so strong that you always just have to do everything that you can do. But the main thing is to have the people prepared.”
While what South Carolina may have experienced carried across the state, officials said they took all the steps necessary to prepare.
Governor McMaster said evacuation orders were issued, however, high-risk dams were inspected ahead of time.
Some shelters were opened for South Carolinians looking for a safe place to ride out the storm and crews were repositioned to respond quickly and begin recovery efforts once things cleared up.
Governor McMaster said he spoke with federal disaster officials and President Joe Biden ahead of the storm.
