South Carolina swung into action Friday, making preparations to help hurricane survivors.

About 300 South Carolina National Guard soldiers packed their gear, filled out paperwork and got immunizations against typhoid, tetanus and hepatitis Friday. They leave Saturday morning to head to either Louisiana or Mississippi.

The soldiers include a military police company, a water purification unit and a transport company.

With the looting, shootings and violence that have plagued New Orleans since Katrina hit, Specialist Sherman Horne, an MP from Latta, says he's expecting the worst.

"It's a terrible situation, but, in a sense, you can't really blame them because of hunger, don't have anywhere to go and things like that," he says. "But at the same time, it's wrong. I have to uphold the duties of the MP."

Still, he's excited to be going, and eager to help. "I always wanted to do something like this."

Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter is sending forty airmen from the 20th Civil Engineer Squadron to New Orleans. They will spend at least the next 45 days building temporary housing, restoring electricity and purifying water for 200 medical workers treating victims in the area.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control is mobilizing a field hospital/medical team that will work with the Anderson COBRA team, which is a special unit that responds to Chemical, Ordnance, Biological and Radiological weapons.

According to a cabinet report from the governor's office, DHEC nurses, a doctor and support staff will accompany the emergency medical services, law enforcement, hazardous material and rescue personnel from Anderson for this mission.

The governor's office also reports that the Department of Social Services will work with DHEC to assess refugees arriving at the Columbia airport. It's expecting up to 5,000 refugees to arrive, starting Friday night and continuing until Tuesday.

Sixth District Congressman Jim Clyburn is coordinating efforts to bring 5,000 to 10,000 refugees to Columbia. He met Friday afternoon with city officials, business and religious leaders.

"Columbia put in place after Hugo a plan to absorb people from the coastal areas of South Carolina in case we have another Hugo," Rep. Clyburn said. "That plan is here, ready to be implemented." 

He says all that's needed now is transportation. He wants a military airlift, possibly using transport planes from Charleston Air Force Base. He says the refugees could stay at Ft. Jackson, McEntire National Guard base, or in two vacant shopping malls in Columbia.

The state Department of Education announced Thursday that any children from the areas hit by Katrina would be welcomed in South Carolina's schools. Rep. Clyburn says many of the people displaced by the storm are school teachers, so they could even go to work once they got here, filling vacancies.

As Sherman Horne finished loading his Humvee for the trip to the Gulf Coast, he said he was excited to be able to help.

"We're going to make a difference, because they don't have enough security or law enforcement officers there. But, you know, just your presence there makes a difference," he said.