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South Carolina: Flood & Recovery

Ongoing coverage of South Carolina's recovery from the flooding of 2015.What had been Lindsay Langdale's Columbia home October 3, 2015 was a flooded ruin the next day.This coverage is made possible by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. In October of 2015, South Carolina received rainfall in unprecedented amounts over just a few days time. By the time the rain began to slacken, the National Weather Service reported that the event had dumped more than two feet of water on the state. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the subsequent flooding was the worst in 75 years.

DHEC Advises Dam Owners, Operators to Safely Lower Water Levels Ahead of Irma

South Carolina Public Radio | By Thelisha Eaddy

Published September 7, 2017 at 5:16 PM EDT

Cary's Lake Dam in Richland County failed during the October 2015 rain event.

As the state prepares for possible impacts from Hurricane Irma, the department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is advising dam owners and operates to safely lower water levels.

In a statement Thursday, the agency warned that hurricane force winds can uproot trees. The loss of soil in that area can impact the structural integrity of a dam. It can provide a path for water from the pond to exit in an uncontrolled manner. Dam owners and operators should use functional gates or flashboards for additional storage for the anticipated rainfall…

During the historic rain event of 2015, more than 50 regulated dams breached or failed. Those failures along with days of intense rainfall caused massive flooding throughout many counties.

South Carolina: Flood and Recovery Coverage on www.scpublicradio.org

Jill Stewart is Director of DHEC's Dam Safety and Stormwater Permitting Division. In the agency’s statement, Stewart also directed dam owners and operators to communicate with other owners and operators below stream.

“If there is a dam downstream of your dam and you are lowering your water level, please call the owner of that dam to advise him or her about what you are doing. Before and after the storm has passed, any accumulated trash and debris should be cleared from spillways."

DHEC plans to utilize an emergency notification system as needed to automatically notify dam owners via voice call, text messages and email to take steps in preparation for the potential for impacts from Hurricane Irma.

Stewart also instructed if problems develop with a dam, such that failure of the might be imminent, owners or operators should contact local public safety officials, downstream property owners and DHEC Dam Safety Program staff at 803-898-1939.

Tuesday, SCE&G announced it was taking steps to manage Lake Murray water levels. According to a press release, the company had begun operating its Saluda Hydroelectric generating plant, which releases water from the lake into the Lower Saluda River.

"We will continue to monitor the storm's potential path and impact on Lake Murray throughout the storm, and we'll adjust as necessary," said Jim Landreth, SCE&G's Vice President of Fossil Hydro Operations.