We asked Scarlett, our 8th grade distance intern, if she would give us an account of all the flooding this past fall here in South Carolina. This is what she had to share.
South Carolina Strong
In Myrtle Beach, Hurricane Joaquin started flooding the streets. I was going home from church on Sunday, October 4, when my family's car ran straight through a giant puddle. It splashed all over our window, making it hard to see. We slammed on the brakes. I heard there was a storm coming, I just didn't know how bad it was going to be. This was a "1 in 1,000" year flood.
We went home after that and we looked around the house to make sure the water had not come inside. I looked through the windows and watched the water rise. When I looked in our media room I saw water seeping through the walls. It was flooding. We had to put towels all over the floor. We were all tired and stressed. The flooding started to slow down and the water dried up.
South Carolina wasn't ready for this flood. Many homes and businesses were destroyed. Some people lost their friends, family, and pets. Many people do not even have flood insurance. What are people going to do?
I wondered how this flooding would affect marine life so I asked Erin Weeks, the Media and Communications Coordinator in the Marine Resources Division of the SC Department of Natural Resources. This is what she had to say, "Popular fish such as the red drum and spotted seatrout are tolerant of changing habitat conditions and aren't expected to be heavily impacted by the rainfall/flooding. Oysters have been hit hard by the recent flooding. As it runs off roofs, roads, and other surfaces, rain brings with it all sorts of bacteria and pollutants. Because oysters are filter feeders, they absorb these contaminants when there are high levels in the water, making them unsafe to eat. Right now, much of the state's oyster grounds are closed until bacterial levels return to normal and they become safe to eat again."
South Carolina should be an example of what should happen when a tragedy occurs. We pull together. We build up, not tear down. Everyone is raising money for the less fortunate affected by this disaster. Some are donating toiletries and other items to those people. We donated out of the kindness of our hearts. I am lucky that this didn't hit my house as hard as some others. We are praying for all of the flood victims. South Carolina is strong and we will persevere and get through this as a community.
We went home after that and we looked around the house to make sure the water had not come inside. I looked through the windows and watched the water rise. When I looked in our media room I saw water seeping through the walls. It was flooding. We had to put towels all over the floor. We were all tired and stressed. The flooding started to slow down and the water dried up.
South Carolina wasn't ready for this flood. Many homes and businesses were destroyed. Some people lost their friends, family, and pets. Many people do not even have flood insurance. What are people going to do?
I wondered how this flooding would affect marine life so I asked Erin Weeks, the Media and Communications Coordinator in the Marine Resources Division of the SC Department of Natural Resources. This is what she had to say, "Popular fish such as the red drum and spotted seatrout are tolerant of changing habitat conditions and aren't expected to be heavily impacted by the rainfall/flooding. Oysters have been hit hard by the recent flooding. As it runs off roofs, roads, and other surfaces, rain brings with it all sorts of bacteria and pollutants. Because oysters are filter feeders, they absorb these contaminants when there are high levels in the water, making them unsafe to eat. Right now, much of the state's oyster grounds are closed until bacterial levels return to normal and they become safe to eat again."
South Carolina should be an example of what should happen when a tragedy occurs. We pull together. We build up, not tear down. Everyone is raising money for the less fortunate affected by this disaster. Some are donating toiletries and other items to those people. We donated out of the kindness of our hearts. I am lucky that this didn't hit my house as hard as some others. We are praying for all of the flood victims. South Carolina is strong and we will persevere and get through this as a community.