Here’s what it looks like in Horry County communities as floodwaters continue to rise
The damage from Hurricane Florence could still be seen on the side of a gutted home in Pitch Landing as floodwaters once again reached up to the empty building.
While the flooding this week is well below Hurricane Florence levels, waters once again cut off many residents across the region from their homes until the river recedes. Some of the affected families are calling for changes to how the area handles flooding and development.
Due to heavy rains in the upstate and in North Carolina, rivers reached flood stages early this week. Despite initial hope the river would crest on Wednesday, the Waccamaw River at Conway reached 12.43 feet on Wednesday, a moderate flood stage, and is expected to rise slightly.
Current predictions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have the river cresting on Thursday just above 12.5 feet but staying in a moderate flood stage through the weekend.
The Little Pee Dee River at Galivants Ferry was slowly receding but still at 9.4 feet, a minor flood level.
Rain is forecasted for Wednesday and Thursday. Horry County Public Safety Director Randy Webster said on Tuesday the rain shouldn’t be a major factor in flood levels but could slow water receding through the week.
Across the county the floodwaters were affecting properties closest to waterways from Socastee out to the Pee Dee Highway, and the slower water recedes, the longer recovery can take. Streets were closed at Savannah’s Bluff, Pitch’s Landing, Punch Bowl Landing and elsewhere.
Road closure signs and caution signs mark where it is unsafe to drive. Pitch’s Landing, however, did not have police guarding entrances to the neighborhood like during Hurricane Florence.
The Horry County Emergency Management Department and Red Cross are on standby to help any families needing recovery help from the storm, Red Cross Director Amy Brauner said.
April O’Leary, a leader of flood advocacy group Horry County Rising, launched a website and petition asking local leaders to implement long-term solutions to promote flood resilience. Since her home flooded in 2018, O’Leary and other advocates have demanded changes to land development and flood mitigation rules.
“It’s encouraging that people are talking about policy, talking about code enforcement and getting involved,” O’Leary said.
Currently, Horry County Government is working on a Flood Resilience Plan and making changes to planning and building codes. O’Leary said she appreciates the work already being done, but would like to see plans turn to action on the local, state and federal levels.
She said some specific improvements could include an online portal showing the flood history of a neighborhood, promoting low-impact developments or speeding up the home buyout programs after a disaster.
“The needs currently outweigh the revenues. So we need to diversify revenue streams for disaster recovery,” O’Leary said.
Horry County Chair Johnny Gardner spoke after Tuesday’s County Council meeting to let folks know the county is working on long-term solutions. He said everything is on the table and encourages residents to get involved.
In the spring, Horry County Council will begin crafting the upcoming budget. A key issue will be identifying long-term funding needs, including improvements to the county’s stormwater department.
“This is a problem that didn’t happen overnight and it won’t be fixed overnight,” Gardner said. “Our philosophy is everything should be connected to stormwater.”
This story was originally published February 19, 2020 at 4:26 PM.
