High water invading some Galivants Ferry residents’ homes after crest

Lamar Sawyer spent Sunday clearing more than a dozen trees that blocked his driveway on the Pee Dee Highway that were blown down by Hurricane Matthew, and thought his property had seen the worst of the storm.

But when he and his wife returned from Conway on Monday where they stocked up on supplies, they were once again blocked at their driveway – this time, by the Little Pee Dee River.

Inside their home, the water was so deep, a kayaker could paddle through the first floor, Sawyer said.

The Sawyers had to evacuate, and it wasn’t just Mother Nature they had to battle, but also their stubborn little Jack Russell Terrier, Jumper, who was determined to ride out the storm on top of a utility trailer.

“I’ve been here 20 years and I’ve never seen the water this high,” Sawyer said.

Days after the river hit a record crest, the front yard and driveway looks like a typical South Carolina swamp, with snakes falling out of the trees and splashing into the water below.

Residents along this quiet and sparsely populated road just off U.S. 501 and less than a mile from the Pee Dee River bridge say they were warned by the automatic emergency alert telephone system, the newspaper and TV reports that a flood was coming.

They just couldn’t fathom how high the water would actually get – a record-breaking crest that beat the flood of 1928 that reached 16 feet.

Sawyer’s neighbor, Kathleen Perritt, said she’s lived in her house there for 45 years, and she’s never seen the river rise as high, or as fast.

But she is one of the lucky ones who lives along the river. The water never reached into her house.

“We’re blessed, a lot of people don’t even have a home,” Perritt said. “We have our lives, we didn’t get hurt, but people need to keep on praying.”

Perritt and her husband have been checking on neighbors, many of whom are still without electricity, to make sure they are safe, making sure they have food, sharing their own dinner of pork chops.

“We’re helping each other out, that’s what neighbors do,” Perritt said.

The rising water forced the temporary closure Wednesday of one lane of the U.S. 501 bridge that crosses the river, and officials continue to keep a close eye on the structure along this main artery that leads to Myrtle Beach.

The river crested at 17.01 feet on Tuesday, and by Friday, had receded to only 16.4 feet.

Sawyer’s insurance company has already contacted him, and wanted to inspect the damage this week for a repair estimate. He had to decline, politely telling them the water in the house was still up to his wife’s chest.

Sawyer’s not sure whether they will even rebuild in the same spot. It will be days before he makes that decision, once they’ve seen the wreckage left behind by the Little Pee Dee River.

This story was originally published October 14, 2016 at 7:26 PM with the headline "High water invading some Galivants Ferry residents’ homes after crest."