Tag Archives: coast

DHEC in the News: Community baby showers, swimming advisory, heart disease

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Here’s a look at health and environmental news from around South Carolina.

Community baby shower draws 100 expectant mothers

Sequoia Rivers waited outside of the Palmetto Electric community room in Ridgeland on Friday, anxious to enter the community baby shower being hosted by Sen. Margie Bright Matthews in partnership with Molina Healthcare of South Carolina.

Rivers, a Ridgeland resident, who is expecting her fourth child, has twins and a 7-year-old child. She said she attended to get the most up-to-date information about what opportunities are available for expectant mothers.

SCDHEC lifts swimming advisory for North Myrtle, Surfside

A temporary ban on swimming along portions of the Grand Strand coast has been lifted, South Carolina Department of Health and Environment Control announced Friday afternoon.

General Interest

Limited health literacy is a major barrier to heart disease prevention and treatment

Limited healthy literacy is a major barrier blocking many people from achieving good cardiovascular health or benefiting from effective treatment for heart attacks, heart failure, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases, according to a scientific statement published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation.

Health literacy encompasses not only the ability to read, but skills such as being able to ask questions about your care, understand documents with medical terminology, perform the basic arithmetic needed to take medication correctly and negotiate with health care providers and insurance companies. Inability to do these things effectively can have serious health consequences.

Hurricane season is near: Be sure to pick up a 2018 South Carolina Hurricane Guide

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Hurricane season is upon us, and now is the time to get your official 2018 South Carolina Hurricane Guide.

The 2018 guide, recently released by the S.C. Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) and partner agencies, provides residents useful information about what they should do before, during and after the landfall of a major hurricane. This year’s guide has updated sections that include new evacuation zones (Dorchester County), tips on preparing for an evacuation, ways to stay connected during an emergency and steps to keep in mind when returning home after a major storm. Images and artwork from last year’s Hurricane Irma are also included.

Over the past week or so the guide has been distributed via subscription and rack sales in various newspapers across the state. Beginning June 1, it be available at all South Carolina Welcome Centers, at any Walgreens store statewide and at South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) offices in Bamberg, Beaufort, Bluffton, Charleston, Conway, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Kingstree, Ladson, Lake City, Little River, Mullins, Moncks Corner, Mount Pleasant, Myrtle Beach, North Charleston, Saint George and Varnville.

Governor Henry McMaster has proclaimed May 27 through June 2 to be South Carolina Hurricane Preparedness Week. South Carolina residents should act now to prepare for major emergencies like hurricanes by reviewing their family emergency plans, developing a disaster supplies kit and talking with family members about what could happen during a crisis.

The official Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through Nov. 30. If you live on or near the South Carolina coast it’s particularly important for you to understand and be prepared for the dangers these storms can pose.

Although we can’t prevent hurricanes, we can take steps to protect ourselves and our families. To help you prepare for the 2018 season, we encourage you to pick up or download the updated guide.

Click here to download the 2018 Hurricane Guide. For more information about hurricane and disaster preparedness, visit the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control website or go to scemd.org.

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Syzygy and South Carolina

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By Jim Beasley
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Some people believe the planets have to “align” in order to have good fortune. But the actual alignment of the sun, Earth and moon can result in dangerously high tides, too.

In South Carolina, the impact of extreme high tides, also known as “King Tides,” is often evident in the Lowcountry around Charleston, Beaufort and Hilton Head. For example, in Charleston, the typical high tide is about 5.5 feet; during a King Tide event the high tide might reach 7 feet or greater. That’s why our Division of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management has become involved in monitoring these higher-than-normal high tides to document their effects on our coast.

What are King Tides?

King Tides is a term that describes the highest seasonal tides that occur each year. These tides occur naturally and are typically caused when the moon is closest to us during its 28-day cycle and aligns with the sun and the Earth. In some cases, King Tides might not be noticed. In other cases, they can cause coastal erosion, flooding of low-lying areas and disruption to normal daily routines. King Tides can also expose critical infrastructure to corrosive saltwater. Over time, the frequency, duration and effect of King Tide events might increase due to a gradual rise in the sea level.

Help us Track the Tides!

high-tide-gtown-3-1-14In 2014, we launched our King Tides Initiative to encourage people to snap and submit their photographs as these seasonal high tides exceed their normal levels and produce flooding along low-lying areas.

To get involved in this initiative, you can upload your photos and submit a King Tides report to the MyCoast website, or by downloading the MyCoast App (now available in the App Store and Google Play).  Your photos and reports will help us with our long-term analysis of coastal vulnerability and in planning initiatives with coastal communities.

The next King tides event is scheduled for this coming Friday through Monday (April 17-20​). So keep your smartphone handy and take a moment to snap and submit a photo to help us better understand the potential threats King Tides pose to our state’s beautiful coastal areas.