South Carolina

At a Glance

State Population: 5,282,634
Local Health Departments: 46
Frequent Public Health Emergencies: Tuberculosis, Hepatitis A, Tropical Storms/Hurricanes
Key Emergency Operations Center Activations: 2020: COVID-19 Pandemic
CDC PHEP Funding:
FY2022: $10,404,117
FY 2021: $10,217,636
FY 2020: $9,979,562
Public Health Crisis Response Funding
COVID-19 2021 funding: $31,112,843
COVID-19 2020 funding: $8,926,133

PHEP-Funded Staff

Epidemiologists: 4
Laboratorians: 11
Nurses: 27
Planners: 15
Other: 36*

*Includes IT specialists, administrative staff, statisticians, and other positions

Top 5 Preparedness Investments

Public Health Surveillance and Epidemiologic Investigation
Public Health Laboratory Testing
Emergency Operations Coordination
Medical Material Management and Distribution
Community Preparedness

Stories from the Field

PHEP Ensures South Carolina is Ready to Respond to Several Hurricanes

In South Carolina, PHEP trains public health staff in emergency response planning so they can effectively employ the incident command system during emergencies. Between 2016 and 2018, South Carolina dealt with three major hurricanes—Matthew, Irma, and Florence. Thanks to PHEP-supported planning, during all of these events, the state evacuated 19 hospitals, more than 236 nursing homes and residential care facilities, and moved more than 13,464 patients to facilities within and outside of South Carolina. PHEP also supported public education campaigns focused on mold cleanup and mosquito control after the storms, which helped keep residents healthy during recovery.

Moving Patients to Safety during Hurricane Matthew

In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew made landfall on the South Carolina coast, causing extensive coastal and inland flooding. Prior to landfall, PHEP-funded health department staff assisted in the coordination of a mandatory medical evacuation, which resulted in the safe evacuation and transport of patients and residents with medical needs. The state health department, along with its public and private sector partners, successfully coordinated the evacuation of 114 inpatient facilities and worked with the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services to transport more than 1,700 individuals to safety.