Climate change in South Carolina

Most of the state has warmed by one-half to one degree Fahrenheit (300-600 m°C) in the last century, and the sea is rising about one to one-and-a-half inches (2.5-3.8 cm) every decade.

Higher water levels are eroding beaches, submerging low lands, and exacerbating coastal flooding.

[3] Brackish water incursions into the Waccamaw River near Georgetown due to rising sea levels are increasing the risk of exposure to toxic vibrio bacteria.

If the oceans and atmosphere continue to warm, sea level is likely to rise one to four feet in the next century along the coast of South Carolina".

Many species of birds, fish, and shellfish in South Carolina depend on coastal wetlands that are threatened by rising sea level.

A higher water level makes it more likely that storm waves will wash over a barrier island or open new inlets.

Although warming oceans provide these storms with more potential energy, scientists are not sure whether the recent intensification reflects a long-term trend.

[6] As of January 2020, South Carolina had no state-level plans for climate change, and politicians and departments in the state convey mixed, non-centralized approaches.

At the top level, governor Henry McMaster has expressed disinterest in a statewide climate plan, arguing that it would create excessive bureaucracy.

[3] In 2008, Governor Mark Sanford organized a special task force to recommend strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.