MORNING HEADLINES | The Atlantic hurricane season closed Saturday with 11 hurricanes – four more than on average. And one of them – Helene – caused billions of dollars of damage in the Upstate and in North Carolina from which people are still recovering.
While Helene didn’t have a direct hit on the Lowcountry, people sure felt its winds and rain in late September. The hurricane, which ripped from the Gulf Coast through Georgia and the Carolinas, killed at least 226 people in six states. Destruction covered hundreds of miles.
On July 1, Hurricane Beryl intensified into the earliest Category 5 storm on record. Major hurricanes usually aren’t seen until September, forecasters say.
Hurricane Helene hit in late September, flattening mountain towns, dumping rain and causing extensive damage, particularly by swollen rivers that flooded places that haven’t seen high water levels in years. . Eight weeks after the storm, some mountain towns still don’t have drinkable water. In Asheville, residents say the best way to help victims is to visit the mountains and spend tourist dollars.
Hurricane Milton struck the Gulf of Mexico in October with some of the strongest winds ever recorded – 180 mph. Then came Hurricane Rafael in November with 120 mph winds.
Recently in the Charleston City Paper:
CP NEWS: Rosemont neighborhood squeezed by old pollution, new development. Rosemont in Charleston’s Neck area truly is between a rock and a hard place, squeezed by challenges like flooding, an accident-prone chemical plant and gentrification.
CP NEWS: S.C. higher education faces demographic challenges. Policymakers say the Palmetto State must start preparing now for a future with fewer college-aged kids, a graying workforce and increased skepticism about the value of pricey post-secondary degrees.
WEEK IN REVIEW: S.C. House using AI on ‘outdated’ regulations. The S.C. House of Representatives is using a customized version of Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence tool to identify and potentially eliminate “outdated” rules buried in the state’s code of regulations, House leaders announced last week.
- A look at the cost of possible S.C. income tax cuts
- Data centers fueling state’s power thirst
- Election results spur more interest in contraceptives
CP OPINION: Let’s celebrate 50 years of service by the Coastal Community Foundation. “From its humble beginnings, the now-named Coastal Community Foundation is a wildly successful nonprofit celebrating 50 years of community action and service. It’s grown to a Lowcountry powerhouse with assets worth more than $500 million — yes, a half-billion dollars — from donor-advised funds, donations and investments.”
CP OPINION, Brack: Pandering to fear is not American way. “Most Americans seem to forget that in just about everyone’s background is an immigrant like Jose or Maria who turned up on these shores to start a better or different life, some as immigrants, some as slaves, and others as refugees from war and violence.”
CP OPINION, Rutledge: Early voting location at church causes discomfort. “The process was seamless from start to finish. There was only one problem: the site for early voting in my area was an evangelical church.”
In other recent headlines:
Biden pardons his son. President Joe Biden issued a “full and unconditional pardon” to son Hunter Biden weeks before leaving office.
Gamecocks rise in AP ranking; Clemson drops. The South Carolina Gamecocks, which beat Clemson Saturday in the Palmetto Bowl, rose from 16th in the AP top 25 teams to 13th. Clemson, meanwhile, dropped from 12th to 18th.
- USC claims Palmetto Bowl title again with win over Clemson
- Bowl game projections for Clemson
- Projections say USC likely headed to bowl game, not CFP
- Gamecock bowl picture is muddy
- Clemson will face SMU in ACC title game
Red-cockaded woodpecker taken off endangered list. In what’s being celebrated as a conservation victory, the bird has been taken off the official endangered list and now is considered threatened.
- Dog-sized lizards may be closer than you think in S.C.
- What S.C.’s mythical creatures can teach us about humans, environment
SLED investigates Friday officer-involved shooting in North Charleston. One man died after being shot Friday at a CARTA station apparently by an off-duty officer. The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating.
Gibbes Museum on track to buy old SCE&G building. The city of Charleston would foot half of the $3 million bill.
SC-1: Mace is face of bathroom politics. At one point, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said she was pro-transgender rights, but she has become the face of bathroom politics. The reason why.
Hutson is president of Sweet Briar College. Charleston’s Mary Pope Hutson is the Virginia college’s new president.
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