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Emergency Orders for Sandbags, Sand Scraping and Minor Renourishment

DHEC OCRM has issued blanket emergency orders to local governments to allow property owners along the immediate beachfront to conduct minor renourishment, sand scraping or install sandbags to provide temporary protection to beachfront structures from wave uprush. The accomplishment of any work under, 17-EO-HI 2 for Minor Renourishment, 17-EO-HI-3 for Sand Scraping, and 17-EO-HI-4 for Sand Bags, issued in response to and preparation for Hurricane Irma is limited to only those structures that would be deemed in an imminent danger from erosion. Per Critical Area Permitting Regulations R.30-15(H), imminent danger is described as when the erosion is within 20' of a structure. These orders are effective 60 days from the date of signature on September 06, 2017. If after that time, a structure is still considered in imminent danger, property owners may request an individual emergency order from the Department to extend the time for protection.

DHEC OCRM has also issued an emergency order for marine debris removal to allow the general public to remove boats and debris from the critical area(s) of the state using all best practices and measures. The public should report waterway debris, including vessels and structures to their local emergency management officials at the county or municipal level.

County-Wide Emergency Orders

Report Erosion and Damage

SCDES OCRM encourages residents and officials to report damage to beachfront structures, including seawalls, revetments, walkovers and erosion using SCDES OCRM's MyCoast web and mobile application. This information will assist SCDES OCRM in prioritizing post-disaster damage assessment and coordination with coastal counties and municipalities. Property owners should also report damage to structures, including homes, to their local building officials.

Coastal Permitting Information Line

SCDES OCRM has established a Coastal Permitting Information Line (803-898-8192) to address questions regarding repairs and maintenance for structures in the critical areas of SC following Hurricane Irma. Specific issues or questions for SCDES OCRM staff may be directed to this line.

Long-Term Recovery Information Line

In the event of a state-declared disaster, information requests regarding long-term recovery from Hurricane Irma should be directed to the state's emergency helpline at 866-246-0133.

Post-Storm Recovery

Permitting priorities for DHEC OCRM after Hurricane Irma will focus on repair and maintenance of existing structures impacted by the event. Depending on the severity of damage to our coastal communities, issuance of permits for non-essential alteration to the critical areas may experience process delays. We appreciate your patience during this time. Structures located within the state's critical area jurisdictions that were impacted by Hurricane Irma may require various authorizations by DHEC OCRM prior to repair or reconstruction.

Emergency General Permits

The following Emergency General Permits are effective from September 11, 2017 until September 11, 2022. For questions regarding Emergency General Permits and processing, please call Blair Williams, Manager of Critical Area Permitting, at 843-953-0232.

Emergency General Permit (EGP) applications may be submitted to ocrmcriticalareaegp@dhec.sc.gov.

Authorization beyond the scope of the Emergency General Permit(s) may depend on SCDES-OCRM's assessment of the extent of damage to a structure. Additional resources on authorizations for repair or maintenance will be posted to this site as assessment information is collected.