South Carolina is currently in a state of emergency after it was hit with floodwaters; causing at least seven deaths.
SC Governor, Nikki Haley says these rains and conditions only occur and are expected once every 1,000 years. With that being said special actions are taking place to assure the safety and well-being of those residents in danger. We are learning that emergency responders have given their word to renew door-to-door searches for those who may still be trapped after the storm, on top of the hundreds of rescues and evacuations that have already taken place.
According to USA Today, the rain was forecast to continue deep into Monday on certain parts of S.C. There were even overnight curfews set to take place starting at 6 PM tonight in Columbia, Sumter and a few other counties.
Gov. Haley says, “Our goal is all hands on deck…We will get through this, but we need everyone to stay strong.”
The storm began Thursday and certain areas have already received more than two feet of rainfall. Some areas like Columbia were lucky enough to only get 10 inches.
A bit of good news in this tragedy is that President Obama has approved federal disaster aid for the state.
From the looks of things, they are really going to need all of the help they can get. Gov. Haley shares that in the time span of just a few days, more than 750 rescue calls have been made, hundreds of roads have been closed (including part of I-95, the highway that runs from Maine to Florida!) and lastly, 600 National Guard personnel have been called to assist; she says they have hundreds more on alert.
Apparently she advised her residents to plan on staying out until at least Tuesday.
According to Accuweather senior meteorologist, Dan Pydynowski, this storm is the worst in SC since Hurricane Hugo, which “made landfall near Charleston as a Category 4 storm in 1989, killing 27 people in the state.”
He says, “Charleston got 11.5 inches of rain on Saturday, which is a one-day record…Today Columbia is setting records.”
One resident, Sarah Shinners said her home was above the waterline — but the only road out of her neighborhood was impassable. She said, “Everything around us is completely flooded. It’s terrible…We are just hunkering down.”
The National Weather Service warns that this storm and flood is an ongoing concern.
“Major to localized catastrophic flash flooding along with possible landslides and mudslides in the higher elevations of South Carolina and Georgia remain an ongoing concern.”
SC isn’t the only state being affected apparently three Virginia counties and much of North Carolina were hit with flood warnings.
Chris Morris, a resident of Charleston told USA Today How he was one of the lucky ones because of how high his house sits.
“We woke up this morning to about 10 inches of water surrounding the house… [our] golf course is completely under water.” He said.
So what’s the cause of all the commotion? According to the Esther service, there’s a low pressure system that has stalled over SC since Thursday. They say that combined with the outer edges of Hurricane Joaquin, a disaster was bound to happen.
They are considering it a Category 2 hurricane, “with sustained top winds of 105 mph, avoided a direct hit to the U.S. but did add fuel to rains and high wind along the coast. Joaquin was forecast to lash Bermuda late Sunday and Monday.”
South Carolina emergency management officials counseled residents to “remain where you are if you are safely able to do so. Call 911 for life-threatening emergencies.”
This is a developing story. We send our condolences and well wishes to our roommates and their families in and affected by this storm.
Source: USA today, http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2015/10/04/flooding-sweeps-east-amid-mind-boggling-rains/73330716/
TSR intern: Chantel P.! Instagram: @_POPchanny | Twitter: @POPchanny
