Police in the flooded South Carolina capital of Columbia say they and other emergency crews would continue with “concentrated search and rescue operations” early Monday.
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On Monday, she said 550 roads and bridges were closed across the state. Haley said county officials would make decisions about closing their offices, and the state would follow suit in those locations.
Do not walk through moving water. Gov. Nikki R. Haley on Sunday called the resultant flooding “an incident we’ve never dealt with before”.
“The peak is past, that’s for sure, but there will still be periods of heavy rain that will continue into tonight”, National Weather Service meteorologist Peter Mohlin said of the Charleston area.
“Rising water from flooding can carry viruses, bacteria, chemicals and other submerged objects picked up as it moves through storm water systems, across industrial sites, yards, roads and parking lots”, the South Carolina Emergency Response Team said.
People were told to stay off roads and remain indoors until floodwaters recede, and an overnight curfew was issued for Columbia and across two surrounding counties.
The city has warned all residents to boil water before using it for drinking or cooking. Utility crews, meanwhile, were working to restore power to 26,000 people still without power, she said. “But there are places we just haven’t gotten to”.
Many areas in and around the capital in Columbia, in the center of the state, recorded more than a foot of rainfall on Sunday.
Floodwaters rise over the banks of Gills Creek, destroying several… State climatologists have said the sun could peek out Tuesday. Thankfully he and his family are safe.
“She’s very distressed right now”, said Gorrin, 38.
Transportation officials say Gibson was with the agency’s Richland Maintenance Unit and was traveling in a truck that was caught in rushing waters, overturned and was swept away.
Haley, a Republican, also thanked President Barack Obama for a disaster declaration that frees up federal resources and for personally calling her Monday morning.
“This was a record storm”, he said. “You know the amount of rainfall that we have experienced is unprecedented”.
“We’ve got enough supplies”.
At least eight weather-related deaths have been reported since rains began spreading over the Eastern Seaboard, which appeared to dodge the full fury of Hurricane Joaquin which was rapidly weakening as it veered farther out into the Atlantic.
The severe weather was also blamed for two deaths in North Carolina, officials said.
Haley says 9 people have died in her SC. Another died in North Carolina.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol responded to more than 300 collisions around the state in the 12 hours leading up to 6 a.m. It cleared almost 140 trees from roads. [TK: See Images of the South Carolina Flooding].
Resident Angela Williams watched the relentless rainfall deluge and destroy her neighborhood in Columbia.
“It’s into the basement area, looks like 2 to 3 feet deep, but I haven’t gone down there to view the damage”, Blackmon said.
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A good samaritan pulled him out of the flooded water, she said. But despite the heavy flooding, she didn’t observe any intakes with flood-related injuries and said that there wasn’t any change from the typical volume of ER visits the hospital normally sees.
