COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster has issued Executive Order 2020-24, declaring a state of emergency in response to the devastation caused by Monday morning’s severe weather event. 

This declaration does not impact any executive orders issued by the governor in response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus in any way. It does, however, direct that the state’s Emergency Operations Plan be further placed into effect to continue the state’s response to the severe weather event. 

Currently, local emergency management officials are assessing the damage caused by the storms in the impacted counties. Once those assessments are completed and relayed to the S.C. Emergency Management Division, the governor will request a federal disaster declaration accordingly.