Florence County Residents Seek Solutions to Repeated Flooding Issues
As the hurricane season officially kicks off, imminent heavy rainfall casts a shadow of concern over several communities in Florence County, South Carolina. Residents in seven communities, including Effingham’s Minus Lane which is maintained by the county, are grappling with repeated flooding incidents that have disrupted their daily lives and livelihoods.
Residents Grapple with Chronic Flooding Concerns
Local resident Niki Williams, who resides on Minus Lane, narrates her woes about the chronic flooding that has been plaguing her community for several years now. The persistent water logging even prevents Niki and her daughter from reaching work sometimes. “My twenty-year-old daughter couldn’t report to her duty at the nursing home where she’s employed because our only way out was unfortunately flooded. She drives a low-lying car that couldn’t navigate the waterlogged roads. It’s hard to comprehend why we’ve been denied assistance in managing this issue and rectifying the road conditions to prevent such recurring problems,” she expresses.
County Administrator Kevin Yokim confirms that work crews were dispatched to address over six similar incidence of wash-outs in various parts of the county, assuring that all have been duly repaired since Monday.
Call for Accountability
Detolian William, Niki’s father-in-law, owns property along Minus Lane, housing several members of their family. As a taxpayer, he firmly believes that he and his family shouldn’t be made to endure these flooding predicaments. Detolian has plans of introducing another family member, his niece, to the community, but fears that she too, will fall victim to this unfortunate situation. “My niece is set to move into her new home just a few hundred feet down the road. However, with the road in its present state, I fear she too will share the same fate as us,” says Detolian, adding, “It seems like this issue impacts only our family.”
When questioned about the specifics of the efforts undertaken by his team to resolve this persistent problem, Yokim and his staff did not provide any detail. However, he reassured that all residences known to have been impacted by the flooding have been attended to and measures have been undertaken to rectify the situation since Monday.
Residents Await Permanent Solutions
While the concerned authorities report taking swift action to address the aftermath of the flooding incidents, the affected residents of these communities in Florence County await long-term solutions that can grant them relief from the consistent flooding. As the hurricane season ushers in a period of heavy rainfalls, it is essential for the local administration to upgrade their infrastructure and improve their disaster response strategy to safeguard their residents.
