South Carolina is not in good shape. Following a week of torrential rainfall, the state experienced some of the worst flooding in its history. And according to a report from CNN, the danger might not be gone. In addition to billions of dollars in property damage and broken dams, there are still many rivers in the state that have yet to flood.
Governor Nikki Haley warned reporters that the state is not out of the woods just yet. On Tuesday afternoon, she urged citizens to remain careful over the next 48 hours. Haley did not produce an estimate for the damage caused by the flood, but she called the levels of destruction “disturbing.”
So far, at least 11 dams have broken in the state since Saturday, and another 35 are being closely watched. A dam failure at the Overcreek Bridge dam in Richland County sent a deluge of water gushing toward Columbia, the state’s populated capital.
State officials allowed the water to breach at an additional dam in Richland County, saying that letting it overflow now might prevent a dangerous backup of water upstream.
There have been at least 17 deaths reported in relation to the floods so far. Nine people drowned in the flood, and six died in traffic accidents. North Carolina also reported two deaths, and 175 people have been rescued by water so far.
Amidst buried coffins coming unearthed, looting, and the potential for further floods and swelling rivers, the state is currently in a lot of trouble.
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