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Thread: Richland warns of severe flooding

  1. #1
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    Default Richland warns of severe flooding

    RICHLAND COUNTY, SC
    Richland County officials are warning Hurricane Florence could be as severe as the 2015 flood.

    “As we experienced in the flood of 2015, we may have some areas that are isolated for a lot of time, up to a week,” said Michael Byrd, Richland County Emergency Services director. “So any preparation you can take now will be well worth it if you find yourself in that situation.”

    In October 2015, areas of the Midlands received up to two feet of rain in one weekend. The deluge broke dams, flooded homes and businesses, washed out roads, and disrupted Columbia’s water supply.

    In a Thursday news conference, Richland County Council chair Joyce Dickerson signed a disaster emergency declaration to make the county eligible for state and federal assistance in the case of flooding or storm damage from Hurricane Florence. The county is expected to begin feeling the effects of the storm on Friday.

    That declaration is in effect until all threats are over.

    If the storm becomes severe enough, first responders may be suspended until conditions are safe enough for emergency crews to travel, county officials said.

    Byrd said most families should be safe in their homes during the storm but urged residents to prepare and stockpile supplies. He also emphasized that if anyone lives in areas that were flooded in 2015, they should find higher ground.

    “I can’t emphasize enough for you to find higher ground,” Dickerson said.

    The county has “strong monitoring,” in areas hit the worst in 2015, according to Dickerson.

    Richland County’s meterologist, Ken Aucoin, increased the estimates of rainfall and wind for the area. The meterologist said Richland could get between eight and 12 inches of rain and sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph and gusts up to 60 mph.

    Tornadoes are another factor people need to consider. Richland County’s meteorologist said the path of the storm puts Richland County in the path of Florence’s volatile northeastern quadrant. That area of a hurricane is known to spawn tornadoes.

    Byrd said people should plan sheltering locations inside their home in case of twisters.

    Dickerson announced that curfews may be implemented during and after the storm.

    “I want everybody to be put on notice, when we do, don’t be surprised, because that (a curfew) may happen,” Dickerson said.

    Shelters are being opened across Richland County, officials announced. Ridge View High School is opened as a shelter with others coming online soon. Many of the shelters are pet friendly, Dickerson said. The shelters will remain open even after the storm, if necessary.

    Dickerson announced that Richland County offices will be closed Friday and Monday with the exception of core employees. She also said people can now text 911 in Richland County in emergencies.

    “We do not want you to feel alone,” Dickerson said.

  2. #2
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    ‘It’s looking more like 2015.’ Richland, Lexington counties issue flood, storm watches
    BY NOAH FEIT, EMILY BOHATCH AND MAAYAN SCHECHTER

    nfeit@thestate.com

    ebohatch@thestate.com

    mschechter@thestate.com


    September 14, 2018 05:34 AM


    Hurricane Florence has placed most Midlands counties under a storm watch or warning, including Richland and Lexington counties, according to the National Weather Service in Columbia.

    Both a tropical storm watch and a flash flood watch have been issued for Richland County and Lexington County, among many others in the area.

    That’s because Hurricane Florence, now a Category 1 storm with 90 mph winds, is expected to move very slowly west Friday toward South Carolina. The storm Friday morning was poised to make landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina.

    Based on the current track of Hurricane Florence, the central Midlands are expected to get 3-6 inches of rainfall, and 25 to 35 mph winds with gusts up to 45 mph, according to NWS Columbia.

    Columbia-area residents should expect to begin feeling the effects of Hurricane Florence Friday, NWS Meteorologist Jeff Linton said. The worst of the weather will hit over the weekend.

    Linton said the winds will be the strongest throughout the day Saturday. Winds are projected to gradually diminish Sunday.

    The tropical storm force or strong winds are expected in the central Midlands Friday night or Saturday morning, and will slowly reduce through Sunday, NWS Columbia reported, adding “this will likely be a long duration event (Friday through Sunday).”

    In a tweet early Friday, NWS Columbia said. “#Florence is still forecast to move slowly southwest along the #Carolina coast today, before turning westward and crossing into the SC #Midlands on Saturday. Life-threatening #flooding will be possible, especially in the northern Midlands and Pee Dee area.”

    NWS Columbia reported that confidence is high that the Midlands will experience areas of flooding because of the heavy rainfall.

    Isolated tornadoes will be possible in the northern Midlands and Pee Dee area, which are expected to get between 5-10 inches of rain, with isolated amounts of 15-plus inches near the North Carolina border.

    “The strong wind gusts may down trees and power lines. The heavy rainfall will increase the risk of trees uprooting and toppling,” according to a NWS Columbia news release. “The strong winds will also blow around any loose objects, lawn furniture and trash cans.”

    The heavy rainfall will “produce flash flooding and river flooding across the Midlands,” and even though weather conditions are expected to improve Monday, “flooding on the area rivers will increase as the runoff from heavy rains moves through the river basins,” per NWS Columbia.

    Linton warned that water traveling from North Carolina and northern regions of the state will make its way into the Columbia area. The increase in water volume should be expected Monday or Tuesday.

    The worst of the river flooding will likely effect the Pee Dee river, Linton said, but the Congaree also threatens to flood. Linton added than the area could experience “significant major flooding.”

    S.C. Emergency Management Director Derrec Becker warned that water levels may mimic the historic 1,-000-year flood that hit Columbia a few years ago.

    “It’s looking more like 2015,” Becker said. “Don’t let the category of the storm fool you.”

    SCEMD is preparing to make water rescues, Becker said. Rescue teams are coming to the Palmetto State from all over the country, including Florida and Ohio.

    If your home flooded before, Becker warned it would likely flood again.

    NWS Columbia reported that there is the possibility for more changes in the track and intensity in the coming days.

    “The worst conditions across central South Carolina ... are expected Friday night into at least Sunday, although impacts could linger longer depending on the uncertain evolution and track of Florence beyond this weekend,” the National Weather Service said.

    Linton also warned that tornadoes could spin off of the storm Saturday.


    Tropical Storm Warning
    ▪ Chesterfield County

    ▪ Lee County

    ▪ Sumter County

    ▪ Clarendon County

    ▪ Calhoun County

    ▪ Orangeburg County

    Tropical Storm Watch
    ▪ Lancaster County

    ▪ Kershaw County

    ▪ Fairfield County

    ▪ Richland County

    ▪ Lexington County

    Flash Flood Watch
    ▪ Lancaster County

    ▪ Chesterfield County

    ▪ Newberry County

    ▪ Fairfield County

    ▪ Kershaw County

    ▪ Saluda County

    ▪ Lexington County

    ▪ Richland County

    ▪ Lee County

    ▪ Sumter County

    ▪ Orangeburg County

    ▪ Clarendon County

    ▪ Calhoun County

  3. #3
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  4. #4
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    Glad Foghorn Leghorn evacuated so many people that way....

  5. #5
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    SCE&G is telling its 726,000 S.C. electric customers to prepare for sustained power outages as Hurricane Florence comes ashore, but the Cayce-based utility is not publicly estimating how many could lose power.

    “If somebody could tell me where this joker is going and what the wind speeds were, I might be able to take a stab at it,” SCE&G Chief Operating Officer Keller Kissam told reporters Thursday. “But based on the unpredictable nature of this storm, we’re unable to guess. … If it’s 250,000, we’re ready. If it’s 25,000, we’re ready.”

    But Kissam warned line repairs could be delayed because of Florence’s speedy winds and other factors, such as flooding. He encouraged customers to be prepared for a weeklong outage, the same advice the utility gives before any major storm.

    Other S.C. utilities offered similar advice Thursday ahead of Florence’s arrival.


    Enter Email Address

    “We don’t know what the hurricane is going to do,” said Santee Cooper spokeswoman Mollie Gore. “We are preparing for significant damage.”

    Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina spokesman Lou Green said South Carolina’s 1.5 million co-op customers also can expect delays in restoring power.

    “The combination of high winds and flooding creates a double whammy,” creating challenges to making repairs but also to reaching downed power lines or broken poles, Green said.

    Duke Energy had said Wednesday it expected between 1 million and 3 million households in the Carolinas to lose power because of Florence.

    Kissam warned Florence’s speedy winds could delay SCE&G line repairs, since the utility won’t lift its linemen in bucket trucks if winds are stronger than 35 mph.

    Florence’s slow trek across the Carolinas also could exacerbate customers’ frustrations, Kissam said.

    He said the utility expects to repeatedly repair the same lines as the slow-moving storm parks over the Palmetto State.

    Some customers might see their power go off and on repeatedly, similar to what happened in the 2004 ice storm, Kissam said.

    “It is such a slow mover,” he said. “It is going to impact our service territory, and it is going to be here for a day and a half to two days.”

    Kissam said SCE&G has about 3,000 workers ready to respond to the storm, including 500 linemen and other workers from utilities in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi.

    Duke said it has more than 20,000 workers — half of them from other utilities — ready to restore power in the largest storm mobilization ever for the Charlotte-based company, which serves more than half of South Carolina.

    South Carolina’s 20 electric co-ops collectively had about 2,300 employees ready Thursday, plus another 750 line workers from other states.

    About 1,500 Santee Cooper employees are working for the storm, Gore said.

    SCE&G’s worst-ever outage was during Hurricane Hugo in 1989. About 300,000 households lost power then, and it took nearly three weeks to restore power to everyone, a spokesman said.

    Reach Wilks at 803-771-8362. Follow him on Twitter @AveryGWilks

  6. #6
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    4"-6" of rain shouldn't be too bad of a problem for Lexington/Richland counties, but all of that water flowing down is what's going to get em.

  7. #7
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    The one positive I'm seeing now is Nutz and I will have our little private duck hunting lake again

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Highstrung View Post
    The one positive I'm seeing now is Nutz and I will have our little private duck hunting lake again
    you lucky sucker

  9. #9
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    jab is worse than the weather channel....
    Ugh. Stupid people piss me off.

  10. #10
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    Yeah, but does he have a good wind stance? Can he fake it as good as they can?

  11. #11
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    a low center of gravity helps!
    Ugh. Stupid people piss me off.

  12. #12
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    Universal sporting stance......
    Yup, he's crazy...


    like a fox. The dude may be coming in a little too hard and crazy but 90% of everything he says is correct.

    Sort of like Toof. But way smarter.
    ~Scatter Shot

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