CALHOUN COUNTY, S.C. — Hurricane Helene is very close to making landfall in Florida. In South Carolina, Calhoun County is preparing for any and everything coming their way.
David Chojnacki, Emergency Management Director for Calhoun County, says the area should be prepared as rain and winds threaten the rural area.
“We could get anywhere from an inch and a half to six inches of rain, depending on what happens with the storm, when it gets over here tomorrow," Chojnacki said. "And far as high winds, we always prepare for high winds.”
Chojnacki tells News19 a briefing on how the county is preparing to respond took place Wednesday morning, noting the county is working overtime to ensure the safety of all residents by clearing roads of debris and unclogging storm drains.
“I do know that they go out and make sure that the areas that are prone to flooding in the town, they go out and clean the storm drains out as much as possible," Chojnacki said. "Our roads departments do the same thing. They go out to county facilities and make sure that there are sandbags if that is needed.”
Another area the county has its eyes on is the Congaree River.
That’s one place where resident Tommy McDow says is prone to flooding after living in Sandy Run for over 20 years.
"Oh yeah, this is probably the hundredth flood I’ve been through, and my neighbors park their vehicles on the hill so everybody always calls me to get the protections and that kind of stuff, so we are very aware of what’s going on.”
“For right now I'm just picking up stuff and getting ready for it to get really deep through here, We are prepared for anything that comes this way for Helene," McDow said.
Calhoun Emergency Management says depending on how bad the storm gets, shelters may open at the local high school to assist impacted residents. They currently have crews on standby and are prepared to add more personnel depending on the severity of the storm.