South Carolina is in the path of Hurricane Florence, leading Gov. Henry McMaster to declare a state of emergency, which triggers anti-price-gouging laws.
“With the possibility that Tropical Storm Florence could make landfall in South Carolina, likely as a hurricane, our people have already started making preparations,” said Alan Wilson, the state’s attorney general, in a statement. “We can expect normal price increases, but we may see businesses and individuals looking to unfairly take advantage of the situation through price gouging of food, gasoline, lodging, and other commodities as defined by the statute. By our law, that’s a criminal violation and an unfair trade practice.”
