COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Tuesday afternoon, state leaders held a press conference for the fourth day in a row to discuss the ongoing recovery efforts around Hurricane Helene. Governor Henry McMaster says 36 South Carolinians are now confirmed dead due to Hurricane Helene, with over 629,000 people still without power across the state. Andrew Bateman with the Office of Regulations says the highest power outages are in Greenville, Spartanburg, and Aiken Counties. Leaders report over 900 service members with the National Guard have been deployed to help with disaster relief. McMaster says yesterday he was able to connect with President Biden regarding federal assistance. “We finally connected yesterday afternoon, and he said whatever we need to let him know, and we’re doing that, and also Secretary Buttigieg called yesterday and said the same thing, and also Deanne Criswell from FEMA has also called and a number of governors called, and so we’re getting assistance,” he says. The Director of EMD Kim Stenson says 18 counties are reporting at least 1,500 damaged homes, with SCDOT finding that around 450 routes remain closed throughout the state as well. “Public assistance costs are being reported by 36 counties for a total of $16 million and both of those are subject to change as we move forward,” says Stenson. Dr. Edward Simmer with SCDPH says all hospitals across the state have power restored and are fully functional. A number of medical need shelters are open across the upstate. To find the right shelter folks can call 1-855-472-3432. Simmer also says ticks and mosquitoes are on the rise due to flooding, and encourages folks to wear long sleeves if possible when outdoors, and/or spray permethrin on your clothes to help repel bugs. Water concerns: If you get your water from a private well, you can call 1-888-761-5989 with questions. To find out ways you can help with recovery efforts, visit SCEMD’s website here.  Categories: Local News, News Tags: Governor Henry McMaster, helene, Kim Stenson