Eight dead as South Carolina hit by 'once in a millennium' floods

A “once-in-a-millennium” downpour has flooded large parts of South Carolina, causing at least seven deaths.

The storm had dumped more than 18 inches (45 cm) of rain in parts of central South Carolina by early Sunday. The state climatologist forecast another 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 cm) through Monday as the rainfall began to slacken.

South Carolina hit with major flooding amid unrelenting Joaquin-fueled rains Read more

The state’s governor, Nikki Haley, said parts of the state were hit with rainfall that would be expected to occur once in 1,000 years, with the Congaree river running at its highest level since 1936.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The swollen Congaree river flows under the Gervais Street bridge in West Columbia. Photograph: Chuck Burton/AP

“This is the worst flooding in the low country [the region around the South Carolina coast] for a thousand years, that’s how big this is,” Haley told a news conference. “That’s what South Carolina is dealing with right now.

“Our goal is all hands on deck. If you are in your house, stay in your house,” Haley told a news conference. “This is not something to be out taking pictures of.”



Six weather-related deaths were reported in South Carolina, three of them from traffic accidents. Officials reported another two deaths in North Carolina.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Homes inundated by flood waters in Columbia, South Carolina. Photograph: Sean Rayford/Getty Images

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Though hurricane Joaquin did not hit the Carolinas and the rest of the southern US east coast as expected, instead passing out to sea over the Atlantic after battering the Bahamas, thousands in the state were still left without power by the rain.



Officials in the state capital, Columbia, said 100 people had been rescued by mid-morning Sunday from vehicles after trying to cross flooded roads. Police said another 200 rescue calls were pending and state officials reported a total of 200 swift-water rescues around South Carolina.

Haley said all interstate highways in and around Columbia would be closed, as 600 national guardsmen were deployed to help with rescues and evacuations.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A vehicle drives through floodwaters in Ocean Isle Beach, north Carolina, on Sunday. Photograph: Mike Spencer/AP

On Saturday, president Barack Obama declared a state of emergency for South Carolina, freeing up federal funds to be used to tackle the floods.

On Sunday the state’s the emergency management spokesman, Eric Rousey, told CNN South Carolina was dealing with “a historic flood the likes of which we haven’t seen”.

High winds toppled a tree that hit a vehicle and killed a passenger on Thursday near Fayetteville in North Carolina. Three people died in weather-related traffic accidents in South Carolina on Friday and Saturday, the state highway patrol said, and a drowning in Spartanburg, South Carolina, was also linked to the storm.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest South Carolina governor Nikki Haley. Photograph: Sean Rayford/Getty Images

On Sunday most rescue efforts were centered on Dorchester and Charleston. The city of Georgetown was also heavily affected.

Amidst record rainfall across the state, Charleston mayor Joe Riley told the Associated Press it appeared the torrential rain has passed but moderate rain could continue for 24 hours, and said he had never seen such flooding in his 40 years as mayor.

The rainfall in Charleston on Saturday was measured at 11.5in, a record.

“This was a record storm,” Riley said. “I feel very fortunate that we were able to get through this as well as we have.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A car is flooded in Georgetown, South Carolina, on Sunday. Photograph: Mic Smith/AP

Haley’s reference to the flooding being the “worst in a thousand years” did not mean that South Carolina, which became a colony in 1663 and a state in 1788, had not seen such flooding since 1015 AD.

The reference was to the expectation among forecasters that in any given 1,000 years, such flooding could reasonably be expected to occur only once.