IN S.C., WATCHING, WAITING AND WORRYING
South Carolinians spent the day Wednesday cleaning up, nervously watching dams and waiting for floodwaters to recede.
About 1,000 homeowners in Columbia who were urged to evacuate in the early-morning hours over concerns the Beaver Dam would fail were given a reprieve later in the day when crews shored up the dam.
About 400 tons of rocks had been dumped to reinforce the dam, and efforts have been underway since Monday to draw down the lake behind the dam. The level of the lake had dropped more than 6 feet by early Wednesday, officials said.
As more rivers crest in the next few days, flooding concerns remain. The week of rains left devastation in its wake and led to at least 15 deaths in South Carolina and two more in North Carolina. Thousands of residents have been forced to flee. Many returned to bleak, soggy wreckage.
Mary Webb is one of dozens of evacuees who stayed overnight at the Bernie Hope Center in Sumter County, about 40 miles east of Columbia.
“Basically we lost everything to the water damage,” Webb said. “But thank God that we’re living and healthy.”
State Insurance Division chief Ray Farmer said a statewide preliminary damage estimate could be released by week’s end. Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin said he expected damage to be “in the billions of dollars.” Steve Bowen, a meteorologist with the global insurance firm Aon Benfield, agreed.
“It appears to be an absolute certainty that the final damage bill is going to be above $1 billion, andmost likely amultibillion economic cost,” Bowen told USA TODAY. “Until the waters fully recede and homeowners and businesses can take a complete assessment of the damage, we won’t know for sure the ultimate price tag.”