South Carolina Governor Seeks Storm Disaster Declaration

State forestry officials say last month’s winter storm damaged $360 million worth of trees in South Carolina.

The Forestry Commission said Wednesday that about 1.5 million acres of land in a 70-mile wide swath across the state was heavily damaged by up to an inch of ice from Feb. 11-13. The damage stretched 170 miles from the Savannah River to the North Carolina state line.

Gov. Nikki Haley is asking that President Barack Obama declare 21 of the state’s 46 counties eligible for federal disaster assistance. The governor says damage and storm response costs suffered by governments and electric cooperatives are in excess of $54 million.

The storm knocked out power to about 350,000 utility customers and resulted in an estimated $15 million in private insurance claims.