Hurricane Helene walloped South Carolina last week. What were some of the effects on farms and agribusinesses, Commissioner?

Well, we are still taking stock of the effects of this storm.

The western part of the state was hit hardest.

The strong winds downed trees and knocked out power for close to half the homes and businesses in the state (45% on Friday morning). Crews have been working hard for days to repair all that.

Of course extended power outages are a concern for industries like poultry.

Restaurants and food manufacturers also suffer without power – some are having to discard food. We are keeping a close eye on the food supply in affected areas.

We have heard reports of damaged fences on farms. Some livestock have gotten out as a result.

River flooding will continue for several days.

The death toll in SC is at 25 (as of the weekend.) Total death toll for the storm is 64 so far.

As far as the harvest, the storm hit at a key time for some row crops.

• A lot of peanut farmers rushed to get their peanuts in before the storm, but there may be some loss there.
• Cotton bolls are open across the state, so the rains may have affected the crop. We’ll keep an eye on that.
• And of course flooding is an issue for fields and for farmers looking to use heavy equipment.

On Saturday, Gov. Henry McMaster requested an expedited major disaster declaration. This would open the FEMA Individual Assistance Program help to residents impacted by the storm in Aiken, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Cherokee, Chesterfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Lexington, Oconee, Newberry, Pickens, Saluda, and Spartanburg counties. 

We will continue working with our partners in Emergency Support Function 17 as part of the disaster response.