I live in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. It’s called the lowcountry because it is low land right by the ocean. It’s practically at sea level. It’s very sandy. The area is know for it’s beautful beaches and the ocean, but it also has water in the way of 4 rivers that’s converge not far from here, into the Winyah Bay, which then leads out to the ocean. The rivers come from the north (the Waccamaw and the Pee Dee) and the west (the Black and Sampit). It makes it a wonderful place to boat and to fish. Historically it was an excellent place to grow rice, and once upon a time this was the place that produced the largest quantity of rice in the whole world. There are marshes and old, overgrown rice fields everywhere. It is beautiful!
Last week hurricane Florence made landfall up the coastline in North Carolina and once it got there it really slowed down. It basically crawled a long for awhile and it dumped rain and more rain as it traveled. You have seen the sad pictures and videos of those in New Bern and in Wilmington and surrounding areas. People have been displaced from their homes from the power of the hurricane. Wind and rain. Lots and lots of rain.
All that rain has been making it’s way into the NC creeks, and then into the NC rivers… and now it is surging downstream towards us. Much of the water is coming down the four rivers I mentioned above. The DNR and the specialists who track all of this say it’s going to be bad around here very soon. Extremely bad. Historic flooding – rivers rising like never before! Areas not in flood zones will go underwater. Land in the lowcountry will be submerged.
Schools have been cancelled indefinitely. Already. See, much of this area is connected by bridges over the rivers and lowlands. If and when they become impassable then people will be ‘stuck’ and won’t be able to get to work, or to school, or perhaps to stores. Medical help might get limited.
There are a lot of questions right now as many are preparing. How deep will the waters get? How far will the rivers spread? How long will it take to recede once crested?
Our schools are already set up for shelters and as staging areas for rescue and recovery equipment. Sandbags are available in several locations.
In the coming days the waters will raise by the hour. Until Thursday, or maybe Friday.
For now we wait and watch and prepare. We pray. We keep calm.
Marla’s Musings 