The South Carolina Hurricane Task Force includes the SCEMD; federal agencies including the NOAA National Ocean Service and National Weather Service; County emergency managers; and the State Emergency Response Team which is made up of members from various state agencies who have dedicated roles in emergency operations. 

The August Task Force meeting was partly used as an after action review of the response to Hurricane Isaias which impacted the South Carolina coast in early August. Task Force members reviewed how the state and counties handled evacuation and sheltering decisions prior to the storm’s landfall, and then concluded with a review of the effectiveness of information sharing between federal, state, and local agencies. Overall, Task Force members felt that response decisions and information sharing was effective, including the support provided by NOAA.

The Task Force also discussed how federal and state agencies will handle hurricane recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic. This included updates from SCEMD on how post-storm damage assessments will be conducted, the process for emergency declarations, a review of the updated Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) individual and public assistance procedures, and the plan for federal and state staffing of Joint Field Offices and the Emergency Operations Center. Due to current circumstances, many of these activities will be conducted virtually to the greatest extent possible. The next Task Force meeting will be held in November 2020. 

For more information, please contact Charles.Grisafi@noaa.gov.

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