Fox News "Your World" - Transcript: Interview with Gov. Henry McMaster

Interview

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CAVUTO: Boy, it looks so beautiful and peaceful there in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, but it's what's coming that has the governor of South Carolina preparing for the worst and urging people along the coast, all a million of them along the Palmetto State's coast, to get out of Dodge and do so by tomorrow.

The governor joins me now on the phone, Governor Henry McMaster.

Governor, thank you for taking the time.

Why did you decide to do this?

GOV. HENRY MCMASTER, R-S.C.: Well, we don't want to gamble with a single life.

This is a big hurricane. We haven't seen one quite like it. It is coming straight at us east -- from the east to the west, instead of sort of coming up from the south.

And they high pressure that high pressure that's keeping it coming on the course towards us. It is going to cross the Gulf Stream, as we know there is nothing to stop it.

So, we are ready. North Carolina is ready. I talked to Governor Roy Cooper twice today, and we are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. And we want to get people out of the way, because we are just not going to gamble with this.

CAVUTO: No, I think it's a smart strategy, Governor.

I do wonder, though, your state, like others in prior storms dating back to 15, 16 years, sometimes have problems when you have to get people out fast. And, sometimes, they are allowed to go in on highways in the opposite direction to clear it all out, and there was confusion at the time, not only your state, many others.

But how is it working out this time?

MCMASTER: We have no confusion. We haven't had any in some time.

We have four roads that we are reversing. That is, all lanes will be leading away from the coast in four roads starting at noon tomorrow. People who want to go to the coast will have to take the other roads. The four big ones are pulling out. Everybody can ride in all one direction away from the storm all the way up to the center of the state.

CAVUTO: Governor, we are told that this storm is going to hang around a while. So, it's going to do a lot of flooding.

So, that makes it even more tricky for you, sort of like what Sandy was in New York, New Jersey, Northeast some years back. How do you prepare for that?

MCMASTER: Well, that's exactly right.

This one -- Florence has got more wind than Hugo did. It's faster, high velocity, more rain than Matthew. And, as you say, it's very high velocity, very powerful. But when it gets to the land, it will be moving slowly across the land, which means it will be sitting here raining on us for a long time.

So, we are preparing for a whole lot of flooding, as well as these high winds and the surge coming up, maybe 10 feet high, above ground, on the coast. But we are going to get it from the coast and we're going to get it from behind with the flooding.

But team South Carolina is prepared. We have people who have been working on this and nothing else for days now.

CAVUTO: I know a state of emergency is in effect. I'm sure you have communicated with the president. What has he told you, sir?

MCMASTER: We have sent the documents there to have a federal state of emergency declared here. We have been in touch with FEMA and their representatives have been with us all day today. And we are expecting to get everything we need.

CAVUTO: Governor, there are a lot of your residents who are no doubt watching, listening to this broadcast who are saying, you know, they try to scare us, and then we end up packing up to leave or try to leave and it ends up not being necessary.

What do you want to tell them? They're listening right now.

MCMASTER: Well, that's one of the things about living in paradise here in South Carolina, is that we are preparing for the worst. We are hoping for the best.

But we are not going to gamble with a single South Carolina life. It may be inconvenient, but we would rather have everybody out and have no deaths and have everybody safe and happy. We can complain about it then if we want to come of it turns out to be unnecessary.

But the way this is looking, it's an unpredictable hurricane. It's fierce, it's big. We haven't seen anything like this in a long time. We are not taking anything for granted. And we are not going to gamble with a single life in South Carolina.

CAVUTO: Governor, I know you have your work cut out for you.

Thank you, sir, for taking the time, Governor Henry McMaster of the beautiful state of South Carolina.

MCMASTER: Thank you.

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