Crews in South Carolina preparing for heavy rain with Tropical Storm Debby

LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. — Emergency workers across Lancaster County were on the phone all day Tuesday preparing for an incoming tropical storm.

People are expecting a lot of rain from Tropical Storm Debby through Thursday, and crews say that could mean flooding in places people don’t expect.

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One neighbor, Carl Blackmon, recalled some of the typical flood-prone areas in Lancaster County.

“It used to be behind the hospital there was a small creek back there and it would flood a good bit,” Blackmon told Channel 9′s Tina Terry.

Lancaster County Emergency Management Director Darren Player says Debby’s downpours could also bring some surprises.

“We still have to worry about with this much rain coming showing us flooding we haven’t seen before and that’s where the dangers can be. We normally know given a rain storm that’s coming through where our flood areas will be,” Player told Terry on Tuesday.

Player says up to 10 inches of rainfall is possible over the next three days in southern parts of the county like Kershaw and Heath Springs. Northern areas like Indian Land could also see flooding.

“They still may get five inches, so they’re not out of the woods up there,” Player said.

He’s warning the public to be prepared for the possibility of power outages and downed trees. He says everyone should keep away from flood waters, whether you’re in a car or on foot.

“If there is a manhole, the cover may have blown off -- you walk and drop in the manhole, you’re going to die. There’s no way we’re going to get you out,” Player said.

Learning from the past

Bobby Pope in Indian Land told Tina Terry that he saw flooding in his area just a few months ago.

“It’s just when everything stops moving, it starts rising. It will look like the rapids through here,” Pope said.

The creek runs through his neighborhood, and he says it has flooded into his yard three times in the past six years. The last time was this past January, the waters came up to his porch and firefighters had to rescue his family.

“This creek feeds into Six Mile Cree, so it eventually will just stop and it will start rising while that’s still flowing,” Pope said.

Pope said he spent years preparing for storms like Debby, bringing in over 100,000 pounds of dirt on two different occasions to create his own burm around his property. He says the work he’s done will help for Thursday, but he’ll still watch rainfall and creek levels. If needed, he’s ready to do more to protect his property and his family.

Lancaster County leaders said they’re looking into more than a million dollars in grant funds to address flooding in the area. They should find out more about that grant application this winter.

>>If you see downed trees blocking a road in South Carolina, you can call 855-Go-SCDOT to report it.

>>You can report downed power lines to their respective companies:

• Duke/Progress Energy: 1-800-365-9947
• Lynches River Electric Cooperative: 843-672-6111
• Pee Dee Electric Cooperative: 1-866-252-0973

(VIDEO: How Debby will impact the Carolinas, and when)

How Debby will impact the Carolinas, and when

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