Thanks for asking about us. I've been MIA due to so much going on. I live in Orangeburg, SC, midway between Columbia, the state capital and Charleston, on the east coast. The whole state took a beating from this historical flooding event--this was really a 1000 year storm. Flooding of this magnitude has never occurred in SC, not even with Hurricane Hugo, which devastated the east coast in 1989. Residents were totally unprepared for this event, and many homeowners did not have flood insurance, as they felt that they did not need it. Some had to be rescued by boat and others by helicopter as waters rose several feet. One ATP member reported that her two daughters, who both live in and attend college in Columbia, had to be evacuated from their apartments, but they are safe. One has to boil her water, but the other has no water services. Adjustments are being made, but things are returning to normal.
Fortunately my area of the state was spared the brunt of the storm and did not receive as much rain as areas further upstate. Columbia received up to 27 inches from the storm and we received between 13 and 18 inches. An astronomical number of dams across the state were breached and several failed altogether, flooding the state capital in several areas. I'm sure you've seen the pictures on national TV. Only 1 dam here in Orangeburg was breached. Edisto Gardens, a rose garden here in Orangeburg, was totally flooded all the way to the major Highway 301, which had to be closed to traffic. It was unbelievable. Portions of I-26 and I-95 had to be closed to traffic, because their conditions was unstable. Slowly they are being reopened as repairs are made to make them more secure. At this time, Coastal areas are being evacuated as a precaution, as the water from the flooded areas recede. The state is recovering slowly, but surely.
