South Carolina responders assist Hawaii recovery as Hurricane Lala passes
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - South Carolina is lending a helping hand to Hawaii’s recovery efforts after the islands were affected by Tropical Storm Lala, which later turned into a hurricane, bringing flooding and widespread power outages.
Governor Henry McMaster deployed the South Carolina State Fire’s Palmetto Incident Support Team (IST) to the islands last week to assist.
In a statement to WIS News 10, SC State Fire Marshal Jonathan Jones said the following:
“Our team approaches every deployment with the principle of humble entry: listening first, understanding what our partners and the community need, and then finding the best way we can support the work already underway. That approach has been especially meaningful here in Hawaii, where disaster recovery is viewed as community-led and government-supported.
“During this deployment, the Palmetto Incident Support Team has integrated with the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management and local response partners to support EOC operations, shelter closures, damage assessments, incident data analysis, and other needs identified locally. To be invited back to Honolulu is an extraordinary expression of trust, and we are grateful for the relationships that have developed through both of our deployments here.”
The storm flooded roads and knocked out power to thousands; officials have linked the death of a 90-year-old woman to the storm.
Lala weakened to a tropical storm as it passed the main islands.
As of early Wednesday, Lala has re-strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane. A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the uninhabited northwestern Hawaiian islands as Lala tracks west-northwest.
The Palmetto Incident Support Team will continue to support Hawaii and says emergency resources remain fully staffed and ready in South Carolina, even with teams deployed.
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