IN SPORTS: Carolina-LSU football game location undecided after flooding B1
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2015
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Sumter schools will be closed for rest of week; midnight to 7 a.m. curfew in effect
Federal disaster area will expand Sumter likely to be added once damages are fully assessed BY JIM HILLEY Jim@theitem.com South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said Tuesday that additional counties will become eligible for federal assistance as data is collected sub-
What should you do if your house was flooded?
stantiating damage in those counties. President Obama signed a major disaster declaration Monday, ordering federal aid to help recovery efforts in the Palmetto State. The president’s action made federal funding available to people in Charleston, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland and Williamsburg counties. Many in other counties, including Sumter and Clarendon, hard hit by as much as two feet of rain and floodwaters, have ques-
tioned why their counties were not included. “This is a story of additions,” Haley said. She said the state would be working closely with county officials to get more counties on the list. “We want everybody to relax and let us do our job,” she said. W. Craig Fugate, administrator for Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security, named W. Michael Moore as the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in
the affected area. According to FEMA, federal disaster aid programs that can be made available under the president’s disaster declaration for individuals, families and businesses include: rental payments for temporary housing; grants for home repairs or replacement; grants to replace some household items not covered by insurance; unemployment insurance for workers who lost jobs because of the disaster; low-interest loans for
SEE FEMA, PAGE A6
Swan Lake damaged in flood
FROM STAFF REPORTS A Clemson Extension Service website (www.clemson. edu/public/flood) offers the following recommendations in the event your home was flooded in the recent catastrophic rainfall that soaked much of South Carolina: As soon as floodwaters recede, make sure the power is off and check for structural damage and infestations (snakes, fire ants, etc.) then get started as soon as possible cleaning and drying everything quickly and thoroughly to prevent mold and rot. All wet materials, including wood, should be allowed to dry thoroughly before being covered or enclosed so as not to impede full drying. Also, some materials may not recover and may need replaceing. A professional water damage restoration contractor with special drying equipment is the best and safest way to go. Lee Prushan, owner of the Sumter ServPro restoration company, said floodwaters are particularly unhealthy because they contain fecal matter, pesticides from lawns, materials from drainage ditches and other things “you don’t want in your house.” Prushan said people with floods in the undercarriages of their homes need to replace insulation and duct work, even though floods might not have moved into the home. He said the duct work will not allow the insulation to dry. Prushan said the minute you get damage in your home and you think you might need flood damage control
SEE HOUSE, PAGE A6
KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM
The damaged brick and wrought-iron fence and sidewalk at Swan Lake-Iris Gardens along the Liberty Street sidewalk is seen with the waters of Shot Pouch Creek rushing under the street from the swampy Bland Garden into the normally placid pond of the main garden.
Timeline for repairs to Liberty Street bridge, dam not yet set BY IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com One of the most visible casualties of the flood is the bridge and dam on West Liberty Street at Swan Lake-Iris Gardens. Many residents wonder when they’ll again be able to use the road that is a main thoroughfare for the city. Director of Public Works Al Harris
said there’s no time frame yet for completion of repairs. “We’re optimistic,” he said, “but we don’t know yet when we’ll begin a major reconstruction. It’s just like it was with (Hurricane) Hugo in 1989 — we have to evaluate before we come up with a plan.” Harris also said the city “has a lot of people to deal with, especially FEMA,
to see what resources are available. We’re doing that now. “After that, we’ll come up with our plan and then the time frame.” Many residents are equally concerned over the destruction to the park itself. There’s a lot of damage, but nothing
SEE SWAN LAKE, PAGE A6
Record rainfall saturates lower half of state, wreaks havoc BY JIM HILLEY Jim@theitem.com The National Weather Service is predicting mostly sunny skies and temperatures reaching from the high 70s to the low 80s through Columbus Day on Monday. Lows are expected in the upper 50s to lower 60s, with some morning fog through Friday as the ground remains saturated.
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Staggering amounts of rain fell on South Carolina from Friday through Monday during what meteorologist are calling a once-in-1,000 year event. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported amounts as high as 26.88 inches in Mount Pleasant, just north of Charleston. Areas near Charleston received more than 20 inches, including Cainhoy with 25.50 inches and Shadow-
moss with 24.10 inches. The Midlands area has several locations receiving more than 20 inches, including Kingstree with 24.75 inches, Sumter with 21.30 inches and Millwood at 20.75 inches. Just missing the 20-inch level were Shaw Air Force Base with 19.79 inches, Summerton with 19.27 inches and Manning with 19.25 inches. Other totals in the area include Wa-
DEATHS, B5 Esther Taylor Roderick M. Elliott Van Matthews Jr. Roy A. Williams Robert McClary Jr. Eliza Jane Frierson
Curtis Van Johnson Sallie C. Boykin Zachary D. Secor Henry B. Richardson Jr. H. Wesley Pack
teree with 18.90 inches, Eastover with 18.35, Santee with 17.43, Camden 15.40 inches and Bishopville at 11.43. The heaviest amounts of rain were centered in South Carolina and parts of North Carolina, while nearby areas to the north and south received far less. Charlotte, North Carolina received only 3.10 inches and Savannah, Georgia totaled only 1.38 inches.
WEATHER, A8
INSIDE
SUNNY AND CLEAR
3 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES VOL. 120, NO. 299
A beautiful sunny day in store today; cool and clear tonight. HIGH 78, LOW 58
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