CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, a previous version of this release included incorrect rainfall totals. Please note the new numbers below if you are planning coverage. 

Media contact: Stephen Fastenau, Office of External Affairs, 803-240-4385, fastenaus@dnr.sc.gov.
Oct. 4, 2024
All of South Carolina is free of drought after Helene’s rains.
The S.C. Drought Response Committee on Thursday downgraded the drought status for nine counties and maintained the no drought status for all other counties.  A stationary front followed by Tropical Storm Helene brought rain statewide and heavy rain to the Savannah River Basin, Midlands and Upstate. 
While the committee generally avoids making two-level declaration changes, there was overwhelming support that there is no signs of drought in the six counties — Abbeville, Anderson, Edgefield, McCormick, Oconee and Pickens — that had been listed in moderate drought and the three counties — Aiken, Greenwood and Laurens — that were in incipient drought. 
According to S.C. State Climatologist Hope Mizzell, Helene produced the third-highest rainfall ever in South Carolina from a tropical cyclone or their remnants since 1956 (see table), with 19.69 inches reported at Jocassee 8 WNW, an Upstate weather station.  The second-highest tropical-induced rainfall occurred just six weeks before during Tropical Storm Debby, with 22.02 inches reported in Moncks Corner. 
Some of the other preliminary double-digit heavy rainfall totals from Helene (Sept. 26 – 29, 2024) include:
15.42 inches at Slater-Mariett 6.4 NW (Greenville County); missing one day of observations
13.41 inches at Anderson 5.0 NW (Anderson County); missing one day of observations
13.08 inches McCormick 12.9 E (Edgefield County)
12.75 inches Sunset 0.5 NW (Pickens County); missing one day of observations
11.24 inches at Iva 6.4 SSW (Abbeville County)
10.76 inches at Columbia 2.1 NNW (Richland County)
10.49 at inches Laurens 1.1 SSW (Laurens County)
Well above normal rainfall from Hurricane Helene has led to high streamflow levels across much of the state, according to Scott Harder, hydrologist with the S.C. Department of Environmental Services. Fourteen-day average flows are well above the 90^thpercentile at many streamflow gauges in the Savannah and Saluda basins.
Upper Savannah reservoirs also have largely recovered after experiencing well above normal inflows. The dramatic improvement in reservoir and streamflow levels supported removing all counties out of a drought designation.
Tommy Mills, S.C. Forestry Commission law enforcement chief, provided an update on the State Forester’s Burning Ban for 20 counties. The ban is not in place due to drought concerns, but solely due to the Forestry Commission’s limited ability to respond to wildfires while staff are assisting with storm response and recovery, Mills said.
The committee held a moment of silence during the meeting for everyone affected by the devastating weather event. 
The next Drought Response Committee meeting is scheduled for Nov. 6, 2024. 

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Rembert C. Dennis Building
1000 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC  29201
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