SAYING the deadly flood waters in her state were at “a thousand-year level” — and acknowledging that there was still 24 hours of rain to come — Gov. Nikki Haley urged the residents of South Carolina to stay safe and strong during a Sunday afternoon press conference.
Haley gave an accounting of just how devastating the storm has been: 30,000-plus sandbags used, 754 calls for assistance in a 12-hour period, 323 collisions, three fatalities. Nearly 600 National Guard troops had been activated, she said, with 1,300 more either on call or on standby. Rescue crews had 11 aircrafts, eight swiftwater rescue teams and 106 highwater vehicles at their disposal. More swiftwater teams were on their way from Tennessee, Haley said.
President Obama has already declared a state of emergency in South Carolina and ordered federal aid to help state and local efforts.
“If you are in your house, stay in your house,” she said. “This is not something to be out taking pictures of. This is not something for your kids to be playing in.”
Haley suggested that schools would likely be closed on Monday since the waters weren’t likely to clear up until Tuesday or Wednesday at the earliest.
“This is different than a hurricane,” Haley said, “because it’s water and it’s slow moving and it’s sitting and we just can’t take the water out.”
Haley said the amount of rain in the low country was at its highest level in a thousand years and noted that the Congaree River was at its highest level since 1936. Hydrologist Leonard Vaughan told the Associated Press that more than 14 inches of rain had fallen in downtown Charleston as of 9 a.m. Sunday. The Greenville-Spartanburg Airport in South Carolina recorded 2.3 inches of rain Saturday, smashing the previous record of 0.77 inches set in 1961, according to National Weather Service meteorologist at Greenville-Spartanburg John Tomko.
Officials said it could take weeks or even months to assess every road and bridge that’s been closed around the state. Several interstates around Columbia were closed, and so was a 75-mile stretch of Interstate 95 that is a key route connecting Miami to Washington, D.C. and New York.
Of the three deaths in South Carolina, two were motorists who lost control of their cars and the third was a pedestrian hit by a car. Haley pleaded for caution, hoping to avoid more accidents.
“If you’re driving and you see water, turn around — don’t drown,” she said.
Meteorologist Peter Mohlin with the National Weather Service in Charleston said that while the rain had diminished in Charleston Sunday morning, there’s a chance of more showers later in the day.
“To get that much rain in such a large area for such a long time — for many people, this is pretty significant,” Mohlin told The Post and Courtier, “especially if they’re being impacted and forced to move from their homes. We wish people well, but it may take until Sunday night or maybe early Monday before this is done and over with.”
Rain and flood warnings remained in effect for many parts of the East Coast on Sunday. While much of the torrential rainfall was centered in the Carolinas, coastal communities as far as New Jersey were feeling the effects of unrelenting rainfall.
NJ.com reported coastal flooding and strong winds were expected to stick around through Sunday as the state anticipates a nor’easter to blow through. The National Weather Service said heavy surf along the Atlantic coast would worsen the flooding.
Flood watches and warnings also are in effect in Delaware and parts of New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia.
The weather service issued a warning for residents living along the coast to be alert for rising water. A combination of high water and high waves could result in beach erosion and damage to docks and piers.
Still, the Atlantic Seaboard was spared what could have been much worse damage had Hurricane Joaquin not continued on a path well off the U.S. coast. And some people found ways to enjoy the wet weather Saturday.
Steven Capito spent the day surfing by the Ocean View Fishing Pier in Norfolk, Virginia, where two- to three-foot waves crashed ashore. Ordinarily, he said waves from the Chesapeake Bay would barely lap his ankles.
“It’s kind of a fun novelty to be out here in the bay,” said Capito, who lives in Virginia Beach. “You only get to do it a couple of times a year and it’s nice and warm.” (Fox News)
Link: http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2015/10/04/at-least-5-dead-as-torrential-rain-floods-pound-east-coast/
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