ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — Heavy overnight rains in Orangeburg and Calhoun Counties have led to flooded roads, damaged bridges, and over 100 road closures. That's in addition to a disruption of water services in western Orangeburg County and schools in both counties either being delayed or closed on Thursday.
Rain began moving through the area Wednesday night and continued into Thursday morning with some radar estimates suggesting 12-15 inches of rain could have fallen in some areas of Orangeburg County within a 24 hour period.
At one point a flash flood warning was issued for much of Orangeburg and part of Calhoun County.
Thursday morning, Orangeburg County Emergency Operations released a list of over 100 roads that have been closed throughout the county due to flooding issues. Here is a link to that list. There are unconfirmed references in that list to possible damage to dams and bridges.
Viewers' images of flooding in Orangeburg County
News19 talked to Adam Livingston, with the Silver Springs Water District, after reports of a disruption of water service in Neeses in Orangeburg County. Silver Springs supplies water service and fire protection to rural areas of western Orangeburg County, including the towns of Livingston and Neeses.
Livingston said crews were out assessing the damage to the water system caused by the heavy rain and flooding. He said the main damage is coming from overflow of ponds and dams where rushing water has cause lines to break. Crews are having to wait for the water to recede before they can begin repairs to the main water lines that are visible. Then, he says, the water company will have to wait for the county or SC Dept. of Transportation to being repairing the roads before repairs to the lines that are buried under the roads.
There will also be a period where service will have to be cut to customers so that pressure can build back up in the lines, returning service to normal.
Livingston says the entire process could take days to complete. He asks for patience while repairs are made.
Earlier Thursday morning, the heavy rains also led school districts to change their plans. Orangeburg County School District administrators first announced a three-hour delay Thursday morning in an email around 7 a.m. The district then updated conditions to close schools for Thursday and then Friday:
Due to the current road conditions across the county, with over 130 significant road closures still in place, Orangeburg County School District schools will remain closed on Friday, November 8, 2024.
These closures are necessary, as many roads have not yet been fully assessed for safe travel by school buses and parents.
This decision was made with careful consideration, and we have been in constant contact with Orangeburg County Emergency Management Services to monitor conditions closely. The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority.
Thank you for your understanding and support as we navigate this situation. We will continue to provide updates as they become available.
Calhoun County School District said it will operate on a two hour delay Friday for everyone. Students are to report by 10am. Staff are to report two hours later than normal reporting time. This delay is to allow for safe travels during daylight hours. Both breakfast and lunch will be served to students.
Rain is forecast to continue throughout the morning, ending sometime around 3 p.m. Thursday. For the latest weather forecasts, check out wltx.com/weather or download the free weather app.
WLTX will continue to update this story as details become available.