South Carolina State of Emergency

South Carolina is under a State of Emergency, as declared by the governor.  As such the state Emergency Management Division is coordinating with all relevant state agencies to prepare for requests for help from local officials and county emergency management leaders.  The hard rain across Oconee County is believed to have started around 3 this morning and already flooding is occurring in low-lying and poor drainage areas.  Water over roadways.  Drainage areas are overflowing.  Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding. Trees have fallen across Oconee and an electric transformer sparked in the Friendship Community south of Seneca. A flood advisory remains until 10:45 this morning covering the Upstate including Oconee and western Pickens counties. Saturated soils and strong wind gusts of 45-55 MPH will result in downed trees, leading to power outages. Helene this morning was tracked about 780 miles south-southwest of Greenville-Spartanburg, moving north-northeast at 12 miles an hour.  It is expected to make landfall over the Florida Panhandle this evening and quickly move north through Georgia.  Significant catastrophic flash flooding and major river flooding is expected over parts of the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia later today into early tomorrow, especially along the Blue Ridge escarpment. When it is safe to do so, National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg requests reports on flooding or landslides that threaten roads and property by calling toll-free 800/267-8101 by posting on the weather service Facebook page or by Twitter using hashtag NWSGP.