By Betsy Finklea
Hurricane Florence came into Dillon County bringing high winds and dumping rain flooding many parts of the county at the end of last week and over the weekend.
The storm seemed neverending as it continued to dump rain on the county well into Sunday evening.
Shelters were opened in Dillon Middle School, the old Latimer School, and Lake View High School, but as of Monday, the only shelter still open was Dillon Middle School.
James Leslie of the local American Red Cross stated that on Monday, “the shelter population is flexible. This (Monday) morning, we had 423 clients. By noon, the population was down to 253. People are leaving, but returning after assessing the damage to their homes. Dillon Middle School is the only operating shelter in Dillon County (as of Monday).”
Dillon County Schools called off school for Tuesday and Wednesday. Coach Jackie Hayes confirmed that there would be no football games for Dillon High School or Lake View High School this Friday. Latta High School Principal Leigh Sloan said they were waiting on a conference call with the S.C. High School League, but that it was doubtful that Latta would play Friday.
Preparation was a key factor in this hurricane after Hurricane Matthew a couple of years ago. The city and towns were more prepared than they were in previous years.
Dillon City Manager Glen Wagner said the biggest issue for Dillon is flooded areas. City staff are working to clear debris off storm grates to help move water faster. There are not a lot of trees down along roads, which is a blessing, said Wagner. The wastewater plant is now in operation. It has been down since Saturday.
Dillon Police Chief David Lane said, “Our officers have worked non-top for our citizens. We have had at least ten officers working at all times There have been lots of property damage, and many have been displaced from their homes. Our officers have rescued dozens of people from their vehicles and homes who were stuck in flood waters.”
In Latta, Town Administrator Jarett Taylor had the town do a great deal of preparation prior to the storm such as cleaning out ditches, etc.
On Sunday, due to the tremendous amount of rain, Taylor, Chief Derrick Cartwright, and many first responders, fire, and emergency personnel performed high water rescues evacuating 30-40 people from their homes. They also performed rescues at Southside Apartments and Latta Arms and assisted with swift water rescues along with Station Nine in Sellers. Taylor and Cartwright were among those who also helped with water rescues in Dillon and Dillon County.
Taylor said in some areas the water was more extensive and sometimes deeper than Hurricane Matthew.
Taylor said Latta was better off as a whole than most as some parts of town never lost power, and in other parts, power has quickly been restored. He said the streets are passable, and he knows of only two trees going down in the Town of Latta. There are no large amounts of debris; however, there is some chaos caused by the road closures. He said overall the state of Latta is good. Latta Police Chief Derrick Cartwight said every officer in the Latta Police Department worked from Thursday until Sunday. Many extra officers were also brought in earlier in the week to help get prepared and to do door-to-door warnings to people who were in the area that flooded during Hurricane Matthew. Officers were deployed to the flooded areas within 30 minutes of the start of the extensive rain. He said once it started it came down fast. Roads were blocked with patrol cars for the safety of the citizens, and several cones were placed until they floated away. The town lost one police car and possibly two more due to the flood waters and trying to help those who needed them.
Latta officers also had to contend with extra traffic caused by the I-95 detour.
At press time, I-95 was still flooded and impassable as was Highway 301 and Oaky Point Road making travel to Dillon nearly impossible.
Lake View Mayor Matthew Elvington said that Lake View fared well during the storm wind and the rain. He said minimal trees fell. Their biggest concern was keeping the roads open to get EMS to and from Dillon. He said the water is still a concern; however, they have high water rescue equipment in place if needed. They are ready to assist Nichols if needed.
Station Five (Carolina Section) Fire Chief Taylor Jackson said they cleared trees from Judson, Hwy. 57 North, Parrish Mill, and McRimmon Road, and checked bridges.
Many roads were still impassable Monday out in the county due to flood waters, and flood waters will remain a concern in the coming days for many areas.
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UPDATE
Pierre Brewton, the Public Information Officer serving Dillon County during Hurricane Florence, gave an update on the situation in Dillon County.
Brewton said the storm hit and there was a high surge of water in the area which resulted in flooding acreoss the county, downed power lines, infrastructure issues, etc. Mitigation has started.
Brewton said that 92 residents in the county were securely rescued and so far, there have been no responder injuries. Approximately 200 responders are working here withing the boundaries of Dillon County. Each unit of responders has a special task.
The last report received from Brewton prior to press time stated the following:
Update 9/18/2018—5:00 p.m.
As the rains have stopped for the moment, damage assessment teams are out documenting visual infrastructural and structural damage. For individuals with property loss, it will be beneficial to take pictures and document all personal damaged goods. The better the documentation, the easier it is to claim the loss.
You are still encouraged to stay off the roads. The roads are still subject to flooding, as well as the trees are still subject to falling due to saturated grounds.
City offices will be operational starting Wednesday, 9/19; except the Wellness Center and Golf Course.
County offices will remain closed Wednesday 9/19
Dillon Christian School, Dillon School Districts 3 and 4 will be closed remaining of this week.
The curfew has been lifted for Dillon County,
An additional update at 5:15 p.m. on 9/18/2018 stated:
Lake View area is now accessible. Although this route is open at the current time, please exercise extreme caution when utilizing the access route. The current route is still vulnerable to flooding and deterioration due to heavy water run-off.