Horry County moves to OPCON 3, Socastee residents still reeling from flooding

Even though much of the state’s historic flood waters have receded into ponds, lakes and ditches, some Horry County residents are just coming up for air.

Some roads in the Socastee communities of Bridge Creek Drive and Rosewood Drive were still under several inches of water until late Thursday. Derick Kennedy, who owns a waterfront home on Rosewood Drive, was clearing out his flooded garage Friday morning after the 13 inches of water finally receded.

“It’s a mess. It still is,” he said. “It’s going to take me months to get everything back up and running.”

Horry County downgraded to Operating Condition 3 Friday afternoon, which means flooding issues still threaten the county, according to Lisa Bourcier, county spokeswoman. Horry County police will continue to staff security checkpoints along the Waccamaw River – including those in Socastee – though it “continues to recede and the situation is further stabilized,” Bourcier said in a release.

The Horry County Emergency Operations Center remains active 24 hours a day, Bourcier said.

Agents with the Federal Emergency Management Agency were going door-to-door in Socastee assessing damage and offering residents help with financial aid registration. Clelia Turbeville, who also lives on Rosewood, was waiting for the agents to swing by her house so she could register for assistance.

Turbeville tried to register with FEMA online but she lost all her progress when she took a phone call. Since only her lawn, back yard and back room were flooded, she said she probably won’t get any federal aid.

“I don’t want a loan because I don’t have any money,” Turbeville said. “A loan is not going to help me.”

About 2,000 Horry County residents have applied for FEMA assistance, Bourcier said.

Turbeville said the biggest problem she’s had after the flood – other than cleaning up and drying out her back room – is the increased number of bugs. Before the flooding, her five dogs never had a problem with fleas; now the Socastee resident worries about spiders, water bugs and anything else that can hurt her puppies.

The bugs and water won’t keep Turbeville away from her home, she said.

“Where could I have gone? This is it,” she said.

Janette Seymour, who lives nearby on Bridge Creek Drive, decided to stay with friends during the flooding. Seymour’s neighbors were busy cleaning out their homes after more than a foot of water seeped into the houses from the Intracoastal Waterway.

Except for one back room, Seymour’s home evaded flood waters.

“I feel bad sometimes, but we’re just trying to help out as much as we can,” she said.

Her house was one of the first built in the neighborhood and sits on a high foundation, which is why the home was mostly spared. Her backyard remains underwater.

Seymour said the community is used to some flooding since it’s situated so close to the waterway. Since her house rarely floods, she has become a sort of food source for her neighbors during times of crisis.

It’s her way of helping anyway she can. “I’ve been the soup kitchen all these years,” Seymour said. “When everyone else is cleaning out their houses, I’ll make sure they’re fed.”

This story was originally published October 16, 2015 at 5:12 PM with the headline "Horry County moves to OPCON 3, Socastee residents still reeling from flooding."