DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. — What was Tropical Storm Debby may be long gone from South Carolina but it's left a flooded mess along Interstate 26 in the Lowcountry of the state.
Friday, floodwaters covered a portion of the road at the 189 mile marker east of the Cypress Campground. That's near the town of Ridgeville and about 45 minutes from downtown Charleston.
Pictures from the scene showed water all around the roadway and covering several lanes of traffic. The flooding was caused by the culmination of days of heavy rains that fell from Debby in the region. Law enforcement had to move multiple vehicles from that area.
After the problem was discovered, South Carolina Department of Transportation crews began making rapid repairs. They originally said both east and westbound lanes were shut down; a few hours later, however, west lanes reopened. After setting up a seven-mile long detour for several hours, one eastbound lane of the road has now been reopened, while the other remains closed.
Drivers are still urged to use caution in that area. They said additional rainfall and flooding may require them to close the interstate again.
SCDOT called the incident an active and ongoing situation.
