South Carolina is sending emergency response personnel to Hawaii as the state prepares for potential impacts from Tropical Storm Lala.
Gov. Henry McMaster announced that South Carolina State Fire’s Palmetto Incident Support Team has deployed to Hawaii to assist with emergency preparedness efforts ahead of the storm.
Lala formed Thursday in the Pacific Ocean and is expected to strengthen into a hurricane before approaching Hawaii’s Big Island. Forecasters are warning of potentially dangerous conditions, including heavy rain, strong winds, flooding and hazardous surf over the weekend.
Members of South Carolina’s Incident Support Team will assist the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management’s Emergency Operations Center. Their role will include providing additional personnel and operational support as Hawaii officials prepare for the storm.
The deployment was coordinated by the South Carolina Emergency Management Division at the request of the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency.
South Carolina’s assistance is being provided through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a nationwide mutual-aid system that allows states to share personnel, equipment and other resources during emergencies and disasters.
The deployment reflects South Carolina’s willingness to provide emergency assistance to other states while maintaining its own response capabilities for potential severe weather events at home.
State officials said the Incident Support Team will work alongside Hawaii emergency management personnel as preparations continue ahead of Lala’s expected arrival.
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