Florence worries shift to flooding

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The rain and wind from Florence have subsided, but the danger of flooding from the storm remains as rivers rise in North and South Carolina.

In a news conference Tuesday, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster said preparations are being made for major flooding events.

“The water has peaked in Chesterfield and Cheraw, and now that water is headed for the coast,” McMaster said. “We’ve encouraged residents to come back to these areas after the wind to check on their homes.”

John Quagliariello of the National Weather Service in Columbia said the state is experiencing flooding across the Pee Dee basin, which includes the Great Pee Dee, Little Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers.

McMaster said the flooding has washed out a number of roads and urged residents in the state to not drive on flooded roadways.

Christy Hall, director of the S.C. Department of Transportation, said close to 40 heavily traveled highways and 200 total roads around the state are currently closed.

Alvin Taylor, director of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, said the threat of flash flooding has shifted to concerns about river flooding. He expects the Waccamaw to rise to its highest level since Hurricane Floyd brought it to 19 feet in 1999. The river remained above flood stage for 55 days.

“I expect the rivers to start rising either Sunday or Monday of next week,” Taylor said. “It will have its biggest effect on Conway.”

McMaster said President Donald Trump would visit South Carolina, though he did not know further details. The Associated Press reported that Trump will visit North Carolina today.

In Hartsville, flooding temporarily shut down global packaging company Sonoco’s paper mill operations. The company said in a news release that operations could be down for several weeks.

“We are gratified that none of our employees have been injured during the storm and subsequent flooding over the past several days,” Sonoco president and CEO Rob Tiede said. “Flooding along Black Creek at our Hartsville manufacturing complex is expected to continue for the next few days, but we are beginning to make assessments and line up maintenance crews so we can quickly begin repairing equipment to get back into operation as soon as possible.”

Sonoco operates six uncoated recycled paperboard machines and one corrugated medium paper machine at its Hartsville complex, which represent more than 20% of the company’s global paper production.

On Tuesday, McMaster announced another storm-related death in S.C. The Lexington County Coroner’s office pronounced Rebecca R. Hartley dead at the scene Sunday after a pickup truck drove into standing water in Leesville. The vehicle veered off the road and struck a tree. Hartley was not wearing a seatbelt.

Also on Tuesday, two people being transported in a sheriff’s office van staffed by two Horry County deputies died after the vehicle was overcome by floodwaters. The two female detainees were being transported from Conway to Darlington, according to the sheriff’s office. The deputies, who were reportedly unable to open the van doors to reach the detainees, were rescued from atop the van.

S.C.’s State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the deaths.

USA Today and CBS News reported the death toll from Florence reached 37 in three states.