Flood costs estimated at $40 million for Emergency Management, S.C. National Guard

Responding to last month’s flooding cost the S.C. National Guard and its Emergency Management Division almost $40 million, leaders told the S.C. House’s budget-writing panel Thursday.

The federal government should pay about 75 percent of those costs, meaning the state will have to pay about $9.3 million, said S.C. Adjutant General Bob Livingston, the Guard’s commander.

In a stop-gap move, Gov. Nikki Haley approved moving $9.3 million from the state’s unclaimed property account Wednesday to cover Guard expenses.

Those figures do not include any other flood expenses the state will have to pay.

For example, interim Secretary Christy Hall said Thursday the state Transportation Department will release its costs to repair flood-damaged roads and bridges around Thanksgiving. At the peak of the flooding, 541 roads and bridges were closed.

Meanwhile, state Department of Administration director Marcia Adams said her agency is tracking other agencies’ flood costs to operate and for added staffing. Adams said Thursday she expects it to take up to six more weeks to collect that information.

Lawmakers praised the state agencies’ flood-response efforts.

For example, state Rep. Joe Neal, D-Richland, said it was “a good thing to see our National Guard in place, helping people who could not help themselves.”

But they also expressed frustrations.

Neal said there was a lag in getting needed rescue teams into rural areas, for instance.

Livingston said much of that delay was caused by washed out roads. He added the Guard advises residents they need to be ready to take care of themselves for the first 72 hours after an emergency, giving rescue teams three days to arrive.

“We weren’t there instantly,” Livingston said. “(But) we were there faster than we would have been 20 years ago,” citing advances in communications and putting resources in place before the storm.

Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, said the state’s growing Hispanic population was left in the dark when flood-preparation information was sent out only in English.

The Ways and Means Committee will hold additional meetings to decide how the state will pay for its flood-damage costs. “This is going to be a long process,” said committee chairman Brian White, R-Anderson.

State senators met last week to consider the state’s flood costs.

White said the rebuilding effort is a chance to improve the state’s highway system and infrastructure, making both better than they were before the flooding.

“Whatever we have to do, let’s take the money and spend it wisely,” he said. “Let’s rebuild South Carolina better.”

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 7:35 AM with the headline "Flood costs estimated at $40 million for Emergency Management, S.C. National Guard."