COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) – Governor Henry McMaster and other state emergency management officials spoke Monday afternoon to provide updates on recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

The news conference was held at the South Carolina Emergency Operations Center on Fish Hatchery Road in West Columbia at 2:30 p.m.

McMaster began his statement by saying that there remain approximately 51,000 power outages across the state due to Helene, but crews remain committed to restoring electricity to the entire state.

He also noted that no new deaths linked to Helene have been reported.

McMaster said 21 counties in South Carolina have qualified for individualized assistance under FEMA, and 29 counties have qualified for public assistance under FEMA.

He said he was pleased with FEMA’s approval of his request to fund 100% of their assistance for 90 days after Helene, after which the state will assume 25% of the funding responsibilities.

He ended his remarks warning the public about scams related to Helene.

“No one from FEMA is going to come to your door and ask for money for hurricane relief,” McMaster said.

He also spoke about Hurricane Milton, which has rapidly developed in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, growing from a Category 2 hurricane to a Category 5 hurricane. Although McMaster noted that current projections show Milton missing the Palmetto State, he said he that the state remains alert in case the forecasts are inaccurate.

“We are aware that we may have to remobilize,” he said.

Helene devastated parts of the southeastern United States in late September. As the death toll has passed 180, Helene has become one of the three deadliest hurricanes to hit the continental United States in the past fifty years.

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