Berkeley County Deputies Assist Pee Dee Region Following Flooding From Hurricane Florence

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.–The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office has sent a team of deputies to the Pee Dee region to assist fellow first responders following the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.

According to Chief Mike Cochran, in disasters such as the flooding the area is experiencing, Governor Henry McMaster implements the State Emergency Operations Plan. This plan enables law enforcement officers from across the state to assist the impacted jurisdictions.

While the North Carolina coast received extensive damage from Hurricane Florence, flooding has started to impact parts of the Grand Strand and Pee Dee region.

In Horry County, some homes in Conway are already beginning to flood. Water is also rising and moving close to the flood barrier wall on the U.S. 501 bypass in the city. Predictions indicate the nearby Waccamaw River will crest sometime this week.

According to the National Weather Service, the Waccamaw River will continue rising to near 22 feet by Wednesday evening then begin falling.

Water levels about are about two feet higher than Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

According to Dillon County Emergency Management, about 400 homes have been damaged in Dillon County, South Carolina from Florence.

In Marion County, homes have also been damaged by recent flood waters.

“The rising waters of area waterways, rivers and creeks have taken many homes and washed away roads all over the county,” read a Facebook post by Marion County Emergency Management. “Although some areas of our community have been able to return to normal operations, there are many areas that are underwater.”

Meanwhile, Georgetown County residents are preparing for heavy flooding in the coming days. While no official evacuation has been ordered for Georgetown County, some people in the downtown are packing up and leaving, bracing for several feet of water.

At least 42 deaths have now been attributed to Hurricane Florence, according to officials. There were 31 deaths in North Carolina, nine in South Carolina and two in Virginia.