1. New Agency Leadership Catherine Heigel’s Goals - 1st 90 days
Meet Agency Staff
Review and reassess Agency mission, vision and values….begin strategic planning process…present to Board in November
Hire Leadership Team

2. Director Heigel’s Goals for DHEC
To be recognized as a leading public health and environmental protection agency in the nation
To be a model for operational excellence in state government
To be the preferred  public sector employer in public health and environmental protection in the Southeast

3. A Core Value :Customer Service
“Thumbtack survey on business friendliness rated South Carolina as one of only 11 states to receive an “A” grade or better, giving high marks for its regulatory environment and workforce”

4. Biggest Challenges Recruiting and retaining talented staff
Although water program deals mostly with water quality, water quantity issues are becoming more critical
Implementation of the Clean Power Plan
Budget – doing more with less, finding efficiencies
2010 ~95M $ (1240 FTEs)
~88M $ (1019 FTEs)

5. Record Breaking Historic Flood across South Carolina (October 2nd-October 4th, 2025)
All time record rainfall occurred across the midlands and eastern parts of South Carolina from October 2th through October 4th.
This was the worst flooding event ever recorded for the midlands and eastern part of South Carolina.
Incredible rainfall amounts ranged from a foot of rain across portions of the midlands to two feet of rain in portions of Clarendon county.

8. Impacts to Farmers/ Agriculture
2 weeks ago: farmers dealing with a drought
Today: Fields are now lakes & much of the fall crops will be lost………
~300 million damage

9. Impacts to Roads
Floodwaters damaged roads and forced the closure of interstates
Not just “back roads” -
Interstates 26 & 95
Means impacts getting kids to
schools, people getting to work,

10. US 378
NEAR
SUMTER

11. "If that was my mom or my dad, I'd walk through h. ll and high water
"If that was my mom or my dad, I'd walk through h*ll and high water ... and today it happened to be high water."

12. WASTE
WATER
PLANT
FLOODING

13. Gervais
Street
Bridge

14. Road Flooding and Failures
Road failure near Harbison Forest, Notch, unknown

15. Failed Dams 36

16. Dam Failures 36 dam failures (half in Richland County)
126 staff have been dedicated to dam response
Old Mill Pond collapse Lexington, Columbia Canal failure, Gibson Pond dam collapse

17. Rescues
Water rescues in Columbia

18. Other Impacts
19 deaths
SC Governor Nikki Haley requested and received a Presidential Disaster Declaration for all 46 South Carolina counties and the Catawba Indian Reservation.
A Major Disaster Declaration was submitted and approved for 11 counties: Richland, Lexington, Sumter, Clarendon, Orangeburg, Williamsburg, Georgetown, Berkeley, Dorchester, Charleston, and Horry.
A week after the flood, 434,100 residents in 13 counties supplied by 43 drinking water systems remained under a 'boil advisory'.
Major impacts to City of Columbia water system………..canal breach repairs on-going (City’s main drinking water intake)

19. Moving from Response to Recovery
Our Biggest Challenge yet
Governor Haley…Team SC Days
Opportunity to help

20. A Sample of What DHEC is Doing Now Moving from Response to Recovery
Public health messages – cleanup hazards
Ensuring safe drinking water is available everywhere…..including State Fair. (free testing)
Hosting Tetanus Vaccination Clinics around the state.
Monitoring the status of dams across the state.
Indoor mold hotline

21. Returning to “Normalcy”
The sun is shining
Roads are re-opening
The state fair is in town…..football games…
Drinking water is becoming safe to drink
But for many, life has been forever changed……..thank you for your compassion and generosity for flood victims.

22. SCSTRONG#
Thanks for
Remembering and
Supporting our
Flood victims