First responders, including volunteers, deserve gratitude

As floodwaters begin to subside across the region, Grand Strand residents not directly affected by historic rains should count their blessings, be patient about life returning to normal, and, most important, thank first responders who helped in myriad ways.

Those in a position to do so, also should consider how to help. And curiosity seekers need to stay off flooded roads and out of waterlogged neighborhoods.

First responders, who have performed in the finest tradition of public service, include volunters, such as those with the American Red Cross, as well as professional firefighters and paramedics, law enforcement officers, local and state emergency management and utility workers .

Red Cross volunteers such as Paul Fritchman of Little River will be staffing shelters. Fritchman will assist folks at Risen Christ Lutheran Church in North Myrtle Beach. Nanci Conley, executive director of the Eastern S.C. Chapter of the Red Cross, notes the ongoing need for trained volunteers who respond to home fires as well as historic rainfall and flooding. “We need to build our volunteer pool,” Conley says.

By late Monday, the S.C. Highway Patrol had 3,196 calls for service, including 1,112 collisions. No doubt, some of those highway collisions involved people who ignored warnings and were traveling when they did not have to be on the road.

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources made 150 swift-water rescues on Monday, according to the state Emergency Management Division. On the same day, the S.C. Army National Guard flew 24 missions.

One particularly asinine stunt, happily not recorded here, involved the Coast Guard rescue of a man on a jet ski. He should have to pay the cost of his rescue from a situation he created – or spend some time in jail. Others, such as the driver of the pickup truck who drove deliberately into raging floodwaters in Columbia, seem determined to prove the theory of evolution.

Warnings about road conditions must be taken seriously. The person who leaves home simply to look around, and finds himself stalled in a flooded street, should expect to sit some time in his vehicle. The S.C. Emergency Management Division received numerous reports of motorists moving barricades from blocked roadways.

Gov. Nikki Haley rightly made the point that getting back to normal will take some time. Roads and bridges must be inspected and assessed for damage. Motorists will need patience as state, county and municipal engineers determine that roads and bridges are safe for use before they are reopened. Haley said officials may err on the side of caution – and that is how it should be.

Perhaps the flooding will sharpen the focus on the need to adequately fund the state’s transportation infrastructure. Failure to fully address the issue is a major shortcoming of the General Assembly. In 2016, legislators and the governor surely will have more good reasons to correct the situation.

In the aftermath of the rain, as floodwaters begin to subside, residents not seriously impacted – nearly everyone is or will be affected in some way – may wish to help.

A cash contribution to a voluntary organization, such as the Red Cross, “can be used immediately in response to a crisis,” according to the Emergency Management Division. Cash “allows organizations to purchase or provide exactly what is needed, when it is needed and to procure supplies near the affected area.”

This story was originally published October 6, 2015 at 3:30 PM with the headline "First responders, including volunteers, deserve gratitude."