After developing on September 27^th in the Atlantic and hitting the Bahamas, Hurricane Joaquin was 2 mph away from becoming a Category 5 hurricane. After wreaking havoc in the Bahamas, Joaquin passed Bermuda and was weakened before passing by the South Carolina coast on Wednesday, October 7^th.

Although Hurricane Joaquin left the rest of the Eastern Seaboard relatively unscathed, it hit South Carolina with a vengeance, even the Luke Bryan concert that was scheduled for October 3^rd in Columbia was cancelled. That’s when you know it’s bad. In a press conference on October 4^th, South Carolina governor Nikki Haley told Newsweek, “We haven’t seen this level of rain in the low country in 1,000 years. That’s how big this is. That’s what South Carolina’s dealing with right now.”

Governor Haley’s statement was not exaggerated. The flood resulting from Hurricane Joaquin and the previous storm resulted in the death of ten South Carolinians. 550 roads and bridges were closed due to obvious hazardous conditions. In some areas, caskets were unearthed and were seen floating through the streets. Hundreds of rescues from flooded homes occurred across the state in the last two weeks.

As flood waters recede, schools are resuming, the National Guard has left, and I-95 has reopened. As these day-to-day constants resume, the damage left behind that South Carolina residents, specifically in the southern part of the state, are facing is estimated to be a $1 billion loss. Although South Carolinians are slowly recovering, the damage and remaining debris will take time and effort to overcome. North Carolina residents that remember Hurricane Floyd of 1999 and its effects remember the lasting effects that the flood had on their lives and can empathize with the same difficulties that South Carolinians are currently facing.

To donate to the Salvation Army’s flood relief efforts in South Carolina, click the link below:

https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/disaster/East-Coast-Floods-Disaster-Relief