Flooding creates more 'waterfront property'
Traffic slows to a crawl, residents move stuff to 2nd floor
By Nadine Parks
Forty-one years.
Video
Downtown flooding
Pedestrians and motorists try to wade through seven inches of rain water Thursday afternoon at King and Huger Streets in downtown Charleston.
That's how long downtown Charleston resident Bennie Kinloch has watched the intersection of King and Huger streets flood every time there's a hard rain. At its deepest point Thursday, the rainwater was about 7 inches high. Passing cars created a tide.
Kinloch, 71, who moved to Huger Street in 1968, lives two houses away. His yard was flooded with about 2 inches of water. He shoved his socked feet into rubber boots, which he keeps by the front door, and waded his way over to the Shell station on the corner for his afternoon cup of coffee. He's seen worse flooding.
"Back in 1973, I had 3 inches of water inside the house," he said, referring to a bad rain storm that passed through the area. "Cars were floating down the street."
Soggy spots
Several areas of downtown Charleston were flooded on Thursday. They include:
The Market area; The Crosstown; King and Huger streets; Rutledge Avenue and Simons Street; Barre and Wentworth streets; Harleston Village community; Fishburne Street and Rutledge Avenue; Orrs Court and Fishburne Street; President and Line streets; Hagood Avenue and Fishburne Street; Sheppard Street and Rutledge Avenue; President Street and Moultrie Street; Washington Street; Society Street; and Hasell Street.
Erika Gallashaw, a clerk at the Shell, started work at 2 p.m. Thursday. An hour and a half later, she hadn't had a single customer. No one could reach her on foot, and she couldn't sell gas because the pumps were flooded. The water lifted up a red newspaper box and flipped it over. It bobbed like an ocean buoy.
Tracy Johnson said she was hungry and only had enough money for a bag of chips. She tried to make it to the store but turned away when she saw the depths of the flooding.
"This has been going on here since I was a little girl, and I'm 38 years old," she said.
Taxicab driver Lorenzo Bradley navigated through the pond in the parking lot for some gas, but he was turned away. Bradley said he'd had trouble with the flooding downtown all day.
He said he rushed through another frequently flooded area on East Bay Street and drove through knee-deep water on Ashley Avenue.
"The hospital area is basically a flood zone," Bradley said.
Several areas of the Lowcountry had record rainfall on Thursday. Downtown, 3.10 inches had fallen by 9 p.m., breaking the April 2, 2005, record of 1.02 inches. Nearly 3 inches fell in North Charleston, breaking the April 2, 1947, record of 1.54 inches.
The Post and Courier
Jack Thames keeps a watchful eye on a lake next to his home in Shadowmoss Plantation on Thursday. The heavy rains that hit the Charleston area brought back bad memories to Thames and his neighbors, who were flooded out in October 2008.
Cannon Street appeared heavily flooded, prompting drivers to veer left to take the Crosstown, where they found more flooding. Cars slowed to a crawl as they snaked through water while kicking up wakes. Two men and a police officer pushed a disabled car off the road.
Charleston police reported flooding in several other downtown areas as well.
West of the Ashley, Sophia Goldin pointed to a 3-foot-tall, high-water mark in her garage, a reminder of the October flood that forced her from the first floor of her condominium in the Shadowmoss community. Just in case, she had put living room furniture up on cinder blocks. She said drainage is a continuing issue for the Bridge Pointe condominiums where she and her husband live.
"This was a little stream. Look at this. It looks like the Rhine (River) in Germany," she said while pointing at the view through her sliding-glass door. "If it (rain) continues through the night, I don't think it can drain fast enough."
Shortly after 7 p.m., Charleston police asked residents there to move their belongings to the second floor and offered to lodge them in a motel if they needed to evacuate. City crews placed sandbags in front of tenants' doors and around their properties. By 10 p.m., standing water in the yards was several inches high and a few feet from the buildings.
Goldin's neighbor Jack Thames said the 32 Bridge Pointe condominiums were flooded in October in what officials described as a "once-in-a-hundred-years event." He said the condos suffered up to $50,000 in damage each. Thames said a vertical drainage pipe built about 3 inches too high causes the problems. The residents said they have complained to the city. A city official was at the location monitoring the situation.
Officials expected the rain to stop about daybreak today.
"It should actually be a fairly nice day, highs about 80, and breezy," Meteorologist John Quagliariello said. "We should have a good amount of sunshine."
No other rain is in sight until Sunday afternoon or evening, he said.
Reach Nadine Parks at 937-5573 or nparks@postandcourier.com or Prentiss Findlay at 937-5711 or pfindlay@postandcourier.com.
E-mail this story
Printer-friendly versionComments
voxpopuli (anonymous) says...
Flooding! there is Flooding in Charleston?
April 3, 2009 at 5:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
badplf (anonymous) says...
I wonder why the P&C never mentions Joe Riley's pledges to fix the flooding - he's only been saying it for 35 years.
How many tax increases has Riley pushed and how much state and federal money has he taken for flooding over the years? And of course, the problem still persists because he spends the money elsewhere and the watchdog media doesn't say jack.
In 2006, Riley spent $3.7 million in Homeland Security money to renovate the Dock Street Theater. How does that protect/prepare us for a disaster either natural or manmade? I bet that would have gone a long way toward addressing flooding. I wonder if spending that money on the fire department would have saved any lives at the Sofa Super Store just a year later?
I know, it's Sanford's fault for not taking stimulus money.
April 3, 2009 at 7:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mqc (anonymous) says...
Why worry about downtown flooding? The proposed new museum is of much more importance.
April 3, 2009 at 7:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
singleroni (anonymous) says...
now he wants stimilus money to fix the flooding. guess it really be used for an aquarium or another pet projects. when they complain feed them cake. he will never do anything. just a blow hard.
April 3, 2009 at 8:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chuckiejeep (anonymous) says...
I know! Let's just expand the aquarium! We can put penguins at the gas station on Huger.
April 3, 2009 at 9:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wegwam (anonymous) says...
makes me wonder why if one lives/works downtown would one want to drive a small car and not a truck.
good thing we didnt have one of those high spring tides yesterday
April 3, 2009 at 10:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tellthetruth (anonymous) says...
Why bash the Mayor and the way your city is run? From all we can see the goverment is strong pleasing as many as possible but your always going to have that 10% I guess. Way to go Joe! Let's try skyscapers, what a view we could have!
April 3, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bartdj1964 (anonymous) says...
If the city would have addressed this four years ago when the developer installed the pipe incorrectly in Shadowmoss, all of these resources would not have been needed. The city engineer was the one to tell our community that the pipe was installed wrong, but yet for four years they have been given a free pass on the correction. Kind of makes you wonder why developers are not held accountable by this city. Maybe they are just too close.
Don Bartlett
Bridgepointe Homeowner
April 3, 2009 at 12:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
PersicaPit (anonymous) says...
The flooding in Bridge Pointe is no joke. I grew up in Shadowmoss just around the corner from the flood-beleaguered condominiums, and the flooding I witnessed in October was positively shocking -- not even Hurricane Hugo produced that kind of water damage. Discovering that yesterday's rains once again threatened the community is appalling.
Again, this is why funding to overhaul our city's abysmal drainage system is critical. Hurricane season is just around the corner, as is the twentieth anniversary of Hurricane Hugo. Let this serve as a wake-up call that when (not if, but WHEN) the next big storm strikes, our city is not ready to handle an inundation of water -- not just downtown Charleston, but also its outlying communities. We are all in danger, and the time to fix these problems is NOW.
April 3, 2009 at 12:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
badplf (anonymous) says...
tellthetruth, you like the way our city is run? You like the way the fire department was run costing the lives of 9 firefighter and who knows how many hundreds of million of dollars? You like Riley spending $3.7 million in Homeland Security money to renovate the Dock Street Theater in 2006? How did that protect/prepare us for a disaster either natural or manmade?
You like the way the city keeps the roads paved and the streets from flooding? You like the traffic? You like the schools? You like the way the government uses tax payer dollars to run a golf course that competes unfairly with the private sector and also loses money in the process? You like the high cost of living, low wages and a high crime rate?
Wow! I don't know what to say. I guess keep voting for Riley - you deserve what you get.
April 3, 2009 at 12:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MSManners (anonymous) says...
No mortal can possibly please all the citizens of our city, so I prefer to leave names out of this posting.
At the same time, let yesterday's rainfall that threatened Bridgepointe Condominiums be a clarion call to the mayor's office and the city engineers.
We did not flood in the first 20 years of our development (including Hurricane Hugo) and we were not even in a "flood plain" until 2003. Yet, all 32 homes were destroyed in October 2008 and all residents had to move out for weeks and make cotly repairs, as well as "junk" most of their furniture and belongings.
Now . . . a few inches of rain, and the police (including Chief Mullins) show up to evacuate us. Meanwhile, the City is still "studying" a plan to correct the flooding. The developer, who seems to be responsible, is still sitting high and dry, but possibly near bankruptcy because he hasn't sold but two of his condos whose poor construction caused the problem.
Bridgepointe has a large number of senior residents. Telling 80-year olds to carry their furniture upstairs because their home may flood again amounts to "elder abuse."
City engineers -- you've made too many promises and too many claims that you have reneged on. It's time to step up and be accountable. We're not sure what your relationship is with developers . . . but they are not the "good guys" here.
April 3, 2009 at 12:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JustJennings (anonymous) says...
People can't walk down the street in parts of the city because of flooding every time it rains. In much of the city, it is difficult to walk down the street without falling because of the dangerous disrepair of the sidewalks, and it is impossible for a person in a wheelchair to use many sidewalks. That seems like a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act to me, but nothing is done. It is pretty obvious that city officials do not have to obey the law. Cops park illegally all the time including in handicapped spots. They never get a ticket, but private citizens do. A parking enforcement officer told me that they are not allowed to ticket police cars. It's nice to know if you receive a public salary, you don't have to obey the law. That's only for the taxpayers paying that salary. Instead of making city officials obey the law, taking care of flooding, and making it safe to walk down the sidewalk, it's more important to spend a few million on an Aquarium.
April 3, 2009 at 12:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chuckiejeep (anonymous) says...
It kinda makes since with whole aquarium theme though. Doesn't it? Seaworld comes to Charleston. Just builds a wall around the city.
April 3, 2009 at 1:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Luna (anonymous) says...
hhhmmmm all the complaints about the Aquarium.....maybe some should read the economic impact the Aquarium has on Charleston. I'd say it has more than paid for itself.
As for the flooding......Riley did not build this city on landfill and marshes, but he has been trying to shore up what the "founders" messed up.
I know that the waters receed faster than they use to....yesterday was a blast on Calhoun with the bridge run package pick up and the flooding. I haven't seen that many out of state drivers floundering around in a while!
April 3, 2009 at 2:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
badplf (anonymous) says...
Luna, that wouldn't be an economic impact report generated by the city and the aquarium itself would it? I'm sure those numbers are accurate and not inflated at all. I'm sure the P&C did plenty of due diligence in verifying the report as well. Afterall, this is the same government that told us the aquarium would cost less than $10 million and take two years to build and we all know how accurate those numbers were.
April 3, 2009 at 2:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Luna (anonymous) says...
Hey, it took so long to build because the site was contaminated. Or are you one of those people that thinks it is OK to put the public in danger just for a buck?
The report was generated by the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is a stand alone entity and I trust their analysis. But of course you will find some deep dark conspiracy......fear begets fear and you are one scared cat!
April 3, 2009 at 2:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MSManners (anonymous) says...
I happen to be a huge fan of the Aquarium, and I fail to see how that argument applies here. The money clearly comes from different sources, and all BUT $10 million of the aquarium money came from private funds. The money in question was a loan from the city.
Can we stay on subject here so we can all work toward solving the problem of this nice neighborhood? If it goes unsolved, FEMA will come in and declare all 32 homes uninhabitable -- what a pity that would be for everyone, except the lawyers.
April 3, 2009 at 3:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
badplf (anonymous) says...
Fear begets feat? Scared cat? What the hell are you talking about? After reading several of your posts, I can not tell you how apropo your user name is.
I'm one of those people who believe it's not the government's job to entertain the masses with fish tanks, cheap golf, baseball games or water slides. If it must venture into activities the private sector can do and should do then I expect the goverment to perform a modicum of due diligence prior to construction. Furthermore, I expect the government to be upfront and honest with the numbers.
Anybody familiar with that site knew how contaminated it was with creasote and other pollutants. Surely the city spent the $4,000 to perform an environmental site assessment as required by DHEC prior to construction. If they had, that should have revealed beyond a doubt what the true cost of the aquarium would be. Of course Riley low-balled the estimates for public consumption to push through his pet project knowing full-well his initial estimates wouldn't even come close. But that didn't matter - it's not his money.
As for the Chamber, as a former small business owner, I did not join the chamber precisely because of it tax and spend positions and unwaivering support of Riley. I don't trust the chamber to generate an objective report on the aquarium anymore than I expect the city to.
April 3, 2009 at 3:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
badplf (anonymous) says...
msmanners, there are basic functions of government, ie. public safety (fire/police), road maintenance, picking up the garbage, in Charleston, the flooding.
Then are the areas into which the government ventures and no business doing so. These would be things like aquariums, baseball stadiums, golf courses, water slides. I would even say education but it must, then focus on education before entertaining the massess.
When the government spends a disproportiate amount of time, energy and money of the latter, it takes away from the former. Not to mention the private aquarium (of comprable size) in Myrtle Beach is far nicer, cost less and took less time to build than this one.
More often than not, when the government ignores the basic function, it can be wasteful and annoying. At worst, in the case of the Fire Department, it can be deadly.
These issues do not exist in a vacumm, they are all inter-connected. And BTW, far more than just $10 million of the final $70 million aquarium came from tax dollars. Your assertion is a fraction of the actual cost.
April 3, 2009 at 3:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
livethereonce (anonymous) says...
This problem was not caused by the mayor and cannot be cured by the mayor. The first settlers of Charleston caused this problem when they decided the peninsula was a good place to build a city and everyone that followed them thought the same. I love the city, but with all good things, there have to be some bad. Common sense would tell anyone that building at or below sea level will have to endure flooding. why does everyone want to blame the city adminstration? If you don't want flooding, move inland. I lived in the city for several years and will move back if I have tha chance. when I learned the streets that flooded, I just stayed away from them until it was safe. People need to learn to live with what they have and quit griping about what they expect someone else to do for them. Engineers cannot control nature no matter how many pipes and pumps are installed. For example, New Orleans; enough said. Flooding will come to low areas. Just get used to it people and move on to something that you can change, like helping others in need.
April 3, 2009 at 4:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CWL922 (anonymous) says...
No one can fix the flooding downtown. When you build at sea level you need to expect flooding during heavy downpours and extreme high tides. Telling people you are going to fix it is giving them false hope.
April 3, 2009 at 6:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dbenjam (anonymous) says...
A vertical drainage pipe that is 3" too high will only contribute to 3" of standing water if everything else is designed correctly. Apparently, proper drainage design was not done on this development, and the homeowners may be able get the developer to pay for whatever improvements that are required to allow proper drainage. Let's take a closer look at this thing.
April 3, 2009 at 6:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Postandcourier.com is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Postandcourier.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not postandcourier.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.
Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by signing up!
Full terms and conditions can be read here.
- Most Commented
- Most Emailed
- S.C. losing port traffic to other states
- Out with old ...
- Cart gives Buddy new lease on life
- Water — 'The smell is gone'
- Schools plan to update visitor-security system
- GenPhar site 'red-tagged'
- Tough times have taught comedian's sister to love life
- Off campus
- Historic manor house used by Girl Scouts is among buildings that might be torn down to make way for future
- Man, 17, killed in motorcycle wreck
