By Ann Vaughan and Noah Fritzhand

South Carolina’s coastal and southeastern US geography makes it a state that is highly susceptible to the impacts of climate change. The warming ocean, more intense hurricanes, rising sea level, and more frequent droughts all impact South Carolina’s economy, ecosystems, and human health. Amid proposed federal budget cuts to and restructuring of agencies like NOAA and FEMA, The Center for Climate & Security (CCS) is expanding on its state-level work and taking a deeper dive into local climate security trends, how the US federal government has historically supported key local decision-making processes for addressing these risks, and how budget cuts and agency restructuring are harming that support. This educational briefer is the first in a series of state-specific briefers CCS will publish in 2025.