In South Carolina, the recognizable beeps from the National Weather Service’s Emergency Alert System blared through the speakers and warnings of flooding from Hurricane Joaquin followed. Preparation for the storm began.
Rainfall lasted days throughout the state, flooding many areas quickly.
As of Thursday, 17 deaths had been reported, hundreds were still without power and large stretches of Interstate 95 remained shut down along with more than 250 roads and 100 bridges. Right now, it is estimated that the cost of the flood could exceed $1 billion and the damage is still not complete.
The sun may now be shining with Joaquin’s exit, but residents of the South Carolina low country are still awaiting their fate. The low country is downhill from cities that have already flooded, so the water is predicted to flow in that direction and cause more damage.
Anna Outten, junior journalism and political science major, said she has been nervously checking in with her family in Charleston, South Carolina throughout the week to stay updated.
“I think it was just really hard to feel like my family was suffering, and I was so far away I could not do anything,” Outten said. “I’m really thankful that although there has been a lot of flooding right around my house, that my family and home are okay, which I know is not the reality for many people in my home state.”
Outten said the water around her house was knee-to-waist-deep, even causing one of her neighbor’s cars to float away.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from my friends here and from the University as a whole,” Outten said.
Wess Helton, Lexington, South Carolina native and freshman international studies major, has been receiving pictures and videos of the damage and flooding from friends in his hometown and at the University of South Carolina.
“My mom texted me the night before it was going to get really bad saying ‘Pray for us,’ and I initially thought she was overreacting, but I was concerned for my friends and family’s safety when I heard how bad it really was,” Helton said.
Helton said his home, family and friends are all in good condition, but the roads surrounding them are not. Large portions of roads have collapsed in some places, forcing people without alternative routes to walk around the damage and carpool with people who live outside the impassable areas, or else stay at home.
Taylor Doster is a senior management and marketing major at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. She lives in a sorority house on campus and said the university did a good job communicating with its students.
“My phone was blowing up the whole time,” Doster said. “They sent out emails about having cases of water shipped in to different spots on campus and what students can do to avoid the places that still have flooding.
Doster said the location of her house on campus usually experiences rain build-up with just a regular rain shower, so she anticipated the Greek Village was going to be flooded.
“Since I was out of town, I was constantly texting girls in the house asking them how everything was and they kept reassuring me that everything was fine,” Doster said. On her drive back to campus, she saw torn-up parking lots and rivers with water levels approaching the height of bridges.
“People have been so helpful donating water and helping to clean up,” Doster said. “It’s been awesome to see hospitality like that.”
Outside of the South Carolina community, people are beginning to reach out and do what they can to send aid.
Despite a tradition of fierce athletic competition between schools, the SEC family is coming together to help its own.
The University of Mississippi Athletics Department is hosting a donation drive, asking students and community members to donate specific items for South Carolinians in need.
Donation collections begin Friday at the softball complex at noon and Gillom Sports Center at 6:30 p.m. The final chances to donate will be at the Wal-Mart on Jackson Avenue from 1 to 5 p.m. and the Soccer Stadium at 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Donation items being requested include diapers, blankets, non-perishable food, clothing, certain paper supplies and toiletries.
Farther south, Louisiana State University is also working to help lift the spirits and some financial burden for USC.
The LSU vs. USC game, originally scheduled to be played in Columbia, has been moved to Baton Rouge after USC’s stadium was flooded by more than a foot of rain.
Proceeds from tickets sales from Saturday’s game will be given to USC once the expenses of hosting the game have been subtracted, and the American Red Cross will be collecting donations at the stadium gates.
USC is still considered the home team, but their band will not be present at the game due to time and travel issues, the LSU band has announced they are working to learn USC’s Alma Mater and fight songs to perform during the pregame show.
Josh Clavin is a sophomore petroleum engineer major at LSU and a member of the marching band.
“We want to do everything we can to help because we had Katrina and know exactly what they are going through,” Clavin said. “We wanted to make this game special in any way possible because we are one family here in the SEC.”
-Lana Ferguson
