COLUMBIA, S.C. — UPDATE: At 8 a.m. Thursday, Helene was upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has issued a state of emergency as the state prepares for the potential effects of Hurricane Helene.
McMaster made the declaration late Wednesday afternoon. The order activates the state's emergency operations plan and asks the South Carolina Emergency Management Division to coordinate with state agencies and to work with local authorities to prepare for the storm.
"Although South Carolina will likely avoid the brunt of Hurricane Helene's impacts, the storm is still expected to bring dangerous flooding, high winds, and isolated tornadoes to many parts of the state," said Governor McMaster. "This State of Emergency ensures that Team South Carolina has the necessary resources in place to respond to these potential impacts. South Carolinians in potentially affected areas should start to take precautions now and monitor local weather forecasts over the next several days."
Helene is currently in the Gulf of Mexico where it's gaining strength. It's expected to slam into the Panhandle or Big Bend area of Florida Thursday as a major hurricane, then push north into Georgia. While the center of the storm itself will not turn into South Carolina, the wind field and associated rains will span out hundreds of miles. Current forecasts show the Midlands of South Carolina could see several inches of rain, with wind gusts expected to reach 50 miles an hour or higher. There also is a risk for tornadoes.
For the Midlands, the greatest chance of severe weather will be late Thursday night through mid-Friday morning. A tropical storm watch has been issued for several Midlands counties, including Richland and Lexington.
SCEMD has several resources available for people to prepare for hurricanes, including hurricane.sc. This site is an interactive tool for anyone needing a quick reference on hurricane preparedness.
When a state of emergency is in effect, South Carolina's price gouging law automatically goes into effect.