As rain from Florence continues to fall, eyes are increasingly turning to the Waccamaw River.
If the river reaches 15.9 feet, the National Weather Service predicts flooding will happen at the Conway Marina, the railroad tracks in downtown Conway, and in people’s homes and yards off Hwy 501 Business, S.C. 90 and S.C. 905. Areas like Savannah Bluff, Riverfront South, Lees Landing and Bucksville could be especially hard hit.
Hurricane Matthew reached a record level of 17.9 feet. Rain from Florence could cause the river to near that by Thursday.
“We said hey you know if you had flooding inside your home, if it was even close to your home, then you need to be prepared and you need to make some type of arrangements if you are to need to evacuate. Or you may want to go ahead and leave now. We’re looking at flooding that’s very serious if not more than Matthew, which is very serious for Conway,” says city spokesperson Taylor Newell.
The river is forecast to crest at 8:00 p.m. Thursday at around 17 feet.
As of 8:00 a.m. Sunday, the Waccamaw was just below minor flood stage at 10.9 feet.
Rainfall totals in Conway as of noon Saturday from the National Weather Service were at 11.36 inches of rain, but that number has changed since then– as the area continues to get more rain.
The projected river levels have been changing all week and will continue to change depending on how much rainfall the river receives upstream.
The City of Conway is keeping a running log of people who decided to stay in flood-prone areas. The city also has three high-water rescue vehicles ready to be sent out if needed.
