October 12, 2015
2:12am
It's been a long time since I've posted (gosh...who knew graduate school was so time consuming?!) but as I can no longer study remote sensing tonight, I thought I'd make a quick post about the storm that devastated Columbia and much of South Carolina this week.
About two weeks ago, we were all keeping an eye on the news as Hurricane Joaquin was gaining momentum and predicted to wreak havoc upon the Carolinas. However; as it became clear the Joaquin was turning eastward and away from the U.S. coast, another serious storm was brewing that was predicted to cause record rainfall in South Carolina and indeed, it did. It was a 1-in-a-1000 year rain event, dropping the most water in the recorded history of Columbia, SC. Climatologist Peter Gleick tweeted on Oct. 7th that "South Carolina received as much water this week as California agriculture uses in a year".
The rain began on Friday night just as I was heading home after the usual Happy Hour at Jake's Bar and post-HH pizza in 5-Points. It rained all night and was still raining on Saturday, but thus far, there were no reports of flooding or advisories to stay off the roads. The rain continued through Saturday night, which is when I understand most of the devastating flooding occurred. Sunday morning is when I awoke to reports of flooding and Facebook and Twitter were buzzing with reports of record rainfall, tides, etc. I was constantly staying in touch with friends, making sure everyone was okay and also who had water and who didn't. Out water was cut around 3:30pm on Sunday and didn't come back on until the following morning.
My roommate and I were lucky in that our house was not flooded and was not located in a flood or evacuation zone at any point during the days of the storm. We lost water for about 16 hours, but always had power, and even without water for the better part of a day, did fine with the water I'd set aside that morning after rumors were bouncing around social media that the city may shut off the water. We also collected rainwater in buckets outside to use for flushing the toilet. (Although a bit muddy, I recommend this tip to anyone who happens to find themselves in a similar situation!) Even now, over a week after the water shut-off, we are still under a "boil advisory" so we don't have potable water. This is because the city's water supply was compromised when a reservoir wall was broken by floodwaters. But we've adjusted and have a large stock-pot in which to boil water for cooking and washing dishes. Overall we've been very, very lucky.
Because we were stuck in our house for days on end (the government was asking people not to go out on the roads unnecessarily and there were citywide curfews each night) we spent time with friends and cooked good food. One of my friends who came over to ride out the storm at our house happens to be studying hazards in our department at USC and brought her weather radio/ battery-charger/ emergency light contraption with her, as well as a bunch of candles and drinking water. I felt lucky to be with a "disaster preparedness expert" during the worst of it. It was certainly a strange feeling to see all the images and reports coming out about what was happening to our neighbors. Some of the worst flooding was just a mile or two away from our house. I could hear sirens and helicopters constantly going in the distance, but when looking out my front door, the street was eerily calm. I appreciate all of you who checked in with me or with my parents. It felt good to know you were thinking of me.
My roommate, very sadly, lost a friend of his in the flooding in Charleston. She was only 24 and also eight-months pregnant. He was quite devastated to learn about it and it brought the situation too close to home.
Tuesday was the first sunny day in over a week and I think it helped lift everyone's spirits a little. It was the first time I left my house in three days which felt good. It's crazy how quickly cabin fever sets in. I volunteered with a couple of my Geography colleagues to help pass out free bottled water with the National Guard at one of the stations the city government had set up to aid with flood relief. People who came by were so nice and grateful. I don't think I've ever been "blessed" that much in a two-hour period. We were happy to help even though it was in such a small way. The same friends and me and my roommate also volunteered on Saturday through a local church to bring supplies to those in need. The first neighborhood we went to (Garner's Ferry & Rosewood) had been hit hard by the flooding and there were piles of debris piled up in front of every house. Volunteers and locals were working at every house, gutting them, tearing out drywall and cabinets and carpet. The streets were lined with appliances, furniture and piles of brick/wood/drywall as people cleaned out their houses. It was actually hard to find people who needed water because there were so many various volunteer groups targeting that particular area.
My friend Alysha suggested that we try bringing some of the leftover water we had to some of the apartment complexes that housed refugees that she works with in St. Andrews (Northwest Columbia). We figured that because they are far away from the city center and not connected though family networks or churches/community groups as well as not being as mobile as other citizens that they were probably in need. Indeed, they were. There was another truck delivering water and relief supplies (toilet paper, food, etc.) when we arrived there and a crowd of people, mostly women and children, were swarming the car in a sea of colorful umbrellas (it was raining again). We drove further down into the complex and went door to door dropping off cases of bottled water. Some of the people there barely spoke English but would say "bless you" or "thank you" with such warm and genuine smiles; it was humbling. Today, Alysha and my roommate returned to that area to deliver more supplies to other refugee families. My roommate also volunteered with a group called "Operation Blessing" doing demolition work. They were lucky to have him because nobody else had a truck which could carry supplies and ever more than that, he went on two volunteer trips to New Orleans post-Katrina to assist with clean-up work there so he has a lot of experience in demolition cleanup.
Another key part of this experience is that classes were cancelled all of last week. Although having a week off from classes might sound to some like a great vacation, it was definitely tainted by what was happening around us. It was quite difficult to study and be productive when you knew you could be out volunteering or were distracted by weather reports and breaking news on social media. Tomorrow is the first day back to campus and I think everyone is feeling a bit dazed and confused.
Overall, I've been immensely impressed by how much everyone in this city has mobilized to help each other out. From neighbors helping neighbors, to the USC volunteer network that helped spread the word and mobilize students, to the relief efforts managed by the government, everyone here has been willing to lend a hand and do what needs to be done. The state motto of South Carolina never meant anything until me until this week: "Dum Spiro Spero" - While I breathe, I hope.
-AMS
Below are some photos I took this week to document what I could of the flooding, aftermath, and relief efforts.
2:12am
It's been a long time since I've posted (gosh...who knew graduate school was so time consuming?!) but as I can no longer study remote sensing tonight, I thought I'd make a quick post about the storm that devastated Columbia and much of South Carolina this week.
About two weeks ago, we were all keeping an eye on the news as Hurricane Joaquin was gaining momentum and predicted to wreak havoc upon the Carolinas. However; as it became clear the Joaquin was turning eastward and away from the U.S. coast, another serious storm was brewing that was predicted to cause record rainfall in South Carolina and indeed, it did. It was a 1-in-a-1000 year rain event, dropping the most water in the recorded history of Columbia, SC. Climatologist Peter Gleick tweeted on Oct. 7th that "South Carolina received as much water this week as California agriculture uses in a year".
The rain began on Friday night just as I was heading home after the usual Happy Hour at Jake's Bar and post-HH pizza in 5-Points. It rained all night and was still raining on Saturday, but thus far, there were no reports of flooding or advisories to stay off the roads. The rain continued through Saturday night, which is when I understand most of the devastating flooding occurred. Sunday morning is when I awoke to reports of flooding and Facebook and Twitter were buzzing with reports of record rainfall, tides, etc. I was constantly staying in touch with friends, making sure everyone was okay and also who had water and who didn't. Out water was cut around 3:30pm on Sunday and didn't come back on until the following morning.
My roommate and I were lucky in that our house was not flooded and was not located in a flood or evacuation zone at any point during the days of the storm. We lost water for about 16 hours, but always had power, and even without water for the better part of a day, did fine with the water I'd set aside that morning after rumors were bouncing around social media that the city may shut off the water. We also collected rainwater in buckets outside to use for flushing the toilet. (Although a bit muddy, I recommend this tip to anyone who happens to find themselves in a similar situation!) Even now, over a week after the water shut-off, we are still under a "boil advisory" so we don't have potable water. This is because the city's water supply was compromised when a reservoir wall was broken by floodwaters. But we've adjusted and have a large stock-pot in which to boil water for cooking and washing dishes. Overall we've been very, very lucky.
Because we were stuck in our house for days on end (the government was asking people not to go out on the roads unnecessarily and there were citywide curfews each night) we spent time with friends and cooked good food. One of my friends who came over to ride out the storm at our house happens to be studying hazards in our department at USC and brought her weather radio/ battery-charger/ emergency light contraption with her, as well as a bunch of candles and drinking water. I felt lucky to be with a "disaster preparedness expert" during the worst of it. It was certainly a strange feeling to see all the images and reports coming out about what was happening to our neighbors. Some of the worst flooding was just a mile or two away from our house. I could hear sirens and helicopters constantly going in the distance, but when looking out my front door, the street was eerily calm. I appreciate all of you who checked in with me or with my parents. It felt good to know you were thinking of me.
My roommate, very sadly, lost a friend of his in the flooding in Charleston. She was only 24 and also eight-months pregnant. He was quite devastated to learn about it and it brought the situation too close to home.
Tuesday was the first sunny day in over a week and I think it helped lift everyone's spirits a little. It was the first time I left my house in three days which felt good. It's crazy how quickly cabin fever sets in. I volunteered with a couple of my Geography colleagues to help pass out free bottled water with the National Guard at one of the stations the city government had set up to aid with flood relief. People who came by were so nice and grateful. I don't think I've ever been "blessed" that much in a two-hour period. We were happy to help even though it was in such a small way. The same friends and me and my roommate also volunteered on Saturday through a local church to bring supplies to those in need. The first neighborhood we went to (Garner's Ferry & Rosewood) had been hit hard by the flooding and there were piles of debris piled up in front of every house. Volunteers and locals were working at every house, gutting them, tearing out drywall and cabinets and carpet. The streets were lined with appliances, furniture and piles of brick/wood/drywall as people cleaned out their houses. It was actually hard to find people who needed water because there were so many various volunteer groups targeting that particular area.
My friend Alysha suggested that we try bringing some of the leftover water we had to some of the apartment complexes that housed refugees that she works with in St. Andrews (Northwest Columbia). We figured that because they are far away from the city center and not connected though family networks or churches/community groups as well as not being as mobile as other citizens that they were probably in need. Indeed, they were. There was another truck delivering water and relief supplies (toilet paper, food, etc.) when we arrived there and a crowd of people, mostly women and children, were swarming the car in a sea of colorful umbrellas (it was raining again). We drove further down into the complex and went door to door dropping off cases of bottled water. Some of the people there barely spoke English but would say "bless you" or "thank you" with such warm and genuine smiles; it was humbling. Today, Alysha and my roommate returned to that area to deliver more supplies to other refugee families. My roommate also volunteered with a group called "Operation Blessing" doing demolition work. They were lucky to have him because nobody else had a truck which could carry supplies and ever more than that, he went on two volunteer trips to New Orleans post-Katrina to assist with clean-up work there so he has a lot of experience in demolition cleanup.
Another key part of this experience is that classes were cancelled all of last week. Although having a week off from classes might sound to some like a great vacation, it was definitely tainted by what was happening around us. It was quite difficult to study and be productive when you knew you could be out volunteering or were distracted by weather reports and breaking news on social media. Tomorrow is the first day back to campus and I think everyone is feeling a bit dazed and confused.
Overall, I've been immensely impressed by how much everyone in this city has mobilized to help each other out. From neighbors helping neighbors, to the USC volunteer network that helped spread the word and mobilize students, to the relief efforts managed by the government, everyone here has been willing to lend a hand and do what needs to be done. The state motto of South Carolina never meant anything until me until this week: "Dum Spiro Spero" - While I breathe, I hope.
-AMS
Below are some photos I took this week to document what I could of the flooding, aftermath, and relief efforts.
