Coastal | Live Healthy S.C.

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

Has the flu loosened its grip in SC? Here’s what the numbers say

It seems the worst has finally passed in regard to flu activity in South Carolina.

Widespread in the Palmetto State for the past 10 weeks, S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control officials now believe the illness is present only on a regional basis.

Opioid prescribing limits to be imposed in South Carolina

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) – The South Carolina Medicaid Agency and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina will limit how many opioids doctors can prescribe to patients in some cases.

This comes after Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order in December establishing an emergency response team to battle the opioid crisis in South Carolina.

General Interest

Coastal floods to be nearly as common as high tides in South Carolina within 80 years, NOAA says

Tidal flooding is accelerating along the South Carolina coast, including at Charleston, federal researchers say. The coast might flood nearly every day by the turn of the century almost 80 years from now.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report is the latest in a series of alerts which forecast worsening conditions for South Carolina and the East Coast as seas and storm-surge rise.

By Dan Burger, Coastal Services Division Director, DHEC Ocean and Coastal Resource Management

On February 23, leaders from throughout the Charleston region attended a symposium hosted by the Charleston Resilience Network (CRN) and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). DHEC has provided leadership to establish the CRN, a new inter-governmental and cross-sector partnership working to align programs and foster a unified strategy that results in regional resilience to water-related hazards. The symposium, Understanding the October 2015 Floods, included panels of experts, leading professionals and elected officials in a facilitated discussion that examined the Charleston region’s resilience to tidal and storm-related flooding.

NAS Resilient America Roundtable member, Brigadier General (ret.) Dr. Gerry Galloway and I welcomed the audience and promoted the need for inter-governmental and cross-sector collaboration in the development of resilience strategies. Throughout the day, an engaging dialog took place among critical service providers, emergency responders, business leaders, disaster relief organizations and elected officials.

Charleston City Council Member Michael Seekings provides his perspective on resilience to the audience. Also pictured: moderator Dr. Gerry Galloway (left), Charleston Public Service Director Laura Cabiness and North Charleston City Council Member Rhonda Jerome.

Participants also learned about the meteorological conditions that led to the widespread flooding from the National Weather Service, tidal flooding projections from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and innovative flood mapping efforts from the College of Charleston, Lowcountry Hazards Center. A findings document from the symposium will be available this spring.

CRN will continue to build on this dialog as it engages stakeholders and works to enhance accessibility to flood hazard information, including planning and vulnerability assessment tools.

For more information on the Charleston Resilience Network, please visit:

www.scdhec.gov/HomeAndEnvironment/Water/CoastalManagement/CRN_network/

or http://www.charlestonresilience.net