Thousands of troops descend on SC in response to Florence flooding

Sept. 18--PINE RIDGE, S.C. -- More than 6,000 active-duty military and National Guard members have fanned out across South Carolina to aid state and local authorities as the Pee Dee and Horry County deal with historic flooding that is expected to worsen.

"The water is not finished," S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster warned Tuesday.

Officials warned flood waters cresting around Cheraw Tuesday will move downstream over the next few days, spreading danger to Dillon, Marion, Marlboro and Horry counties.

"Residents should take preparatory action now while there is time to protect property," said John Quagliariello with the National Weather Service.

Hundreds already have evacuated their homes over the last few days in the Pee Dee and Horry County, and 93 people have been rescued from rising flood waters, according to state officials.

S.C. officials say as many as 30,000 people could be in the path of the flooding.

"But we have been very prepared and very active in getting things done to keep the people safe," said McMaster, who took a ride in a helicopter with the U.S. National Guard Monday to assess the flooding in Marlboro, Dillon, Marion, Chesterfield and Horry counties.

"It's still rolling down upon us as it comes down to the coast," McMaster said.

The U.S. Naval Forces North Command has deployed two ships 30 miles off the S.C. coast for recovery and rescue efforts, loaded with heavy-lift helicopters, MV-22 Ospreys and ship-to-shore landing craft to aid in search and rescue, as well as a host of ground vehicles, generators and other equipment.

S.C. Emergency Management Division Director Kim Stenson said officials are still in the process of gathering damage assessments.

In Washington, D.C., U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said he was familiar with one assessment from the governor's office that put S.C. damages from Hurricane Florence at about $1.3 billion.

Scott said South Carolina could receive about $540 million from Community Development Block Grants that can be made available for recovery efforts. However, Congress may need to take action to accelerate that money being made available, he said.

Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has $25.6 billion in its Disaster Relief Fund, which U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said is sufficient "to get started" meeting the state's recovery needs.

Graham said he wasn't sure how much South Carolina would need -- "we'll know in the coming days and weeks the cost of this thing" -- but added it was important the state not be greedy.

Florence dumped nearly 2 feet of rain in Loris and Cheraw, where the Pee Dee River crested early Tuesday morning at more than 16 feet above its flood stage, cutting off the town's water supply.

S.C. Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Robert E. Livingston said the S.C. National Guard was beginning water purification operations Tuesday in Chesterfield County.

President Donald Trump Sunday declared a major disaster in South Carolina, allowing state and local governments to be reimbursed through FEMA for costs associated with emergency and life-saving actions due to the storm.

The counties included in the disaster declaration are Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Orangeburg and Williamsburg. McMaster on Tuesday said he is considering requesting Chesterfield County be added to the list.

The Waccamaw River in Conway is forecast to break the record high-water mark set during Hurricane Matthew two years ago. The Weather Service forecasts the river's level at U.S. 501 in Conway will hit almost 19 feet by the end of the week, eight feet above flood stage.

Col. Alvin Taylor with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources warned there could be a second crest Sunday or Monday in Conway as flood waters continue to make their way into South Carolina from North Carolina.

"What you will see is the water will be coming up and it will level (over a roughly 24-hour period), then it will turn upwards again," Taylor said. "When you see a crest, it doesn't mean the flood situation is over. Wait until the water recedes."

On Tuesday, the city of Conway advised drivers to avoid Transportation Department construction on the U.S. 501 Bypass, where crews are installing a flood control device to keep the roadway open. That work is expected to be completed by noon Wednesday.

"We are taking steps to ensure there is one major artery to get into Horry County, especially Myrtle Beach," McMaster said.

Both lanes of Highway 501 northbound into Conway were closed Tuesday, and southbound traffic on the bypass were restricted to one lane. Northbound traffic was being directed to take S.C. 31 to S.C. 22 to avoid the lane closures.

Some 200 roads across the state have been closed due to flooding, Transportation director Christy Hall said Tuesday. At midday, 118 roads in Horry County were closed due to flooding, according to the Horry County Emergency Management Division.

Hall said drivers should expect flood waters to top a majority of river crossings in the Pee Dee.

"If a road is flooded, certainly don't drive through it," she said. "Do not drive through any of our barricades and obey the directions of local officials."

Reporter Emma Dumain in Washington, D.C. contributed to this report;

Bristow Marchant: 803-771-8405, @BristowatHome; Tom Barton: 803-771-8304, @tjbarton83

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