Flood-Ravaged South Carolina Gets $5M in Emergency Road Repair Funds
After severe flooding paralyzed areas in the central part of the state, South Carolina was awarded $5 million in federal funds to fix key roadways and bridges, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced Oct. 6.
“Emergency relief funding will help the state begin immediately to recover from record-breaking flooding,” Foxx said. “We want South Carolinians to know this funding is only a down payment on our commitment to ensuring all highways and bridges are repaired in the state. More resources will become available as estimates for the cost of repairs become clear.”
“We know that the losses are great throughout the state, but getting roads and bridges back up and running again is the first step to restoring communities again,” added Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau.
Starting Oct. 2, the state saw torrential rains through the weekend that reached more than 20 inches. The state Department of Transportation closed about 70 miles of Interstate 95 and a dozen bridges. Also, according to the governor’s office, at least 10 dams have been compromised. Inspectors are determining the extent of the structural damage.
Philip Byrd Sr., president of Bulldog Hiway Express in Charleston and immediate past chairman of American Trucking Associations, confirmed that trucking operations have been impacted.
“We’ve got customers that have closed, drivers who can’t get out from home safely —a lot of road damage. We’ve got employees who’ve had as much as 2 feet of water in their homes,” Byrd told Transport Topics. He added that the industry is persevering. “What truckers do in the face of weather catastrophes and challenges is the same thing we do every day; we deliver for America. No matter what the challenge is, we just find ways to persevere and deliver.”
