Morgan Happenings: A thousand year flood

Monday, October 5, 2015

A thousand year flood

A thousand-year flood is what they are calling what has happened to South Carolina over the last four days. They rarely mention we had rain for a solid week-and-a-half before this flood. The ground was already saturated. We, South Carolinians in general, were already tired of feeling like we were living in Seattle. Then it rained some more.

It even rained more today.

Last night Jim Gandy, meteorologist, said we had broken the one-day, two-day and three-day rain records all in this one event. I can believe it! We, our family, has been very lucky thus far. Yesterday morning our power was out for about an hour. Some people have had no power or water for two days now.

Friday, I bought a few food items. Honestly, I didn't think SC would be where it is today so I didn't buy many groceries. Today, we had to venture out to find food. I was nervous. It turns out I had every right to be.

I'll start by explaining something. A few weeks ago, just before my Tupperware party, the SCDOT started tearing up Percival Road. And I mean tearing it up. It was horrible! And that was before the week-and-a-half of rain. Then it became too much. I had to go that way the day after the Tupperware party because Porter Cross Road was closed due to a marathon. I almost hit a pot hole that was 3ft x 2ft and somewhere between 8-12 inches deep in John's Corolla. It would have been the end of the Corolla. Luckily I saw it just in time and no one was coming. That road, by then, was FULL of holes everywhere. Last Wednesday they finally closed the road to local traffic only. The rain had done too much damage.

Now, you are caught up. When we left the house today, we went in the only direction we knew would be open, Porter Cross Road. We saw the bridge at the volunteer fire department, but it was what was before and after it that really caught our attention. The road just before the bridge has completely washed away. Just after the VFD was a huge tree lying across the road.

So, we turned around and headed toward 601 the other way down Porter. There was another road block. We are not sure what was going on there. It could just be a tree, but I didn't see one. It may be the road is missing there too.

We decided to check out Tower Road (the only other way we know out from our house into town). We knew it would end at Percival, but Percival would be open to local traffic (if it was still there). We were almost to the end when we saw the road was missing there too. Devastating.

Back at the house, we searched Google for another route. We knew of only one more road and we didn't know where it would take us. It took us, in a very round about way, to the other end of Percival that was not closed because of construction and rain (that we knew of). So, off we went.

We did finally make it into town and back with food. Now, we have enough food to last us until the end of the week. And that is the route we'll probably have to take for the next few months. I have no idea how long it will take to build the roads around us, nor do I know where they will be on the priority list.

I am grateful we are safe, our animals are safe, and we have food and water. Others are far less fortunate. And now, damns are breaking all over Richland County. Two damns so far tonight and I believe a third one is being watched very carefully. They believe it will break, just don't know when. So the flooding starts all over again.