Nat'l Guard storm costs total $40 million

The state's top military officer said this week that the National Guard and its Emergency Management Division have spent about $40 million responding to last month's catastrophic storm, which included flooding that caused damage to more than 820 state-maintained highways and roads. Adjutant Gen. Bob Livingston told legislators Thursday the Federal Emergency Management Agency will cover 75 percent of his office's expenses, leaving the state to pay about $9 million. Gov. Nikki Haley approved transferring that amount from the state's unclaimed property fund. Livingston says that transfer allows his agency to continue operating. He said about 40 guardsmen remain activated in the state, mostly in Clarendon County, where some roads are not expected to be fixed until after the Thanksgiving holiday. U.S. 301 between Manning and Turbeville remains impassable. He says more than 4,000 guardsmen participated in flood response efforts. Their missions included swift-water rescues, transporting sandbags, providing security and traffic control, inspecting dams and repairing roads. Livingston says guardsmen saved 209 people from floodwaters and evacuated more than 3,000 to safety.