Governor Henry McMaster took a helicopter tour of flooded areas of Georgetown County on Saturday.
Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall, Georgetown Mayor Brendon Barber and Chief Warrant Officer Kent Puffenbarger of the SC National Guard joined the governor.
After the tour, McMaster stated the flood damage in Georgetown is less than what was expected for the area. Several businesses in and around downtown prepared to reopen on Saturday, which is when Georgetown County officials expect the local rivers to crest.
“We’ve seen that the water has spread out dramatically as it’s come closer to Georgetown, which has reduced the threat quite a bit. But we’re highly prepared and we can see water on the side of the roads near the aquadam,” said McMaster.
The governor also got a birdseye view of the aquadam, which SC DOT and the National Guard built on stretches of US-17 along the Waccamaw to prevent flooding. On Saturday, Secretary Hall said SC DOT plans to take the aquadam down sometime next week, after the Waccamaw has crested.
“We’ve never seen this much water in this part of the state but we were well prepared. Prepare for the worst, hope for the worst, and that’s what we did,” said McMaster.
