checking in on SC brother-en from flood areas

[Chris K]

@CharlestonJet @ronaki @Mauimike @textman @Morrowcat @andy07sx230ho


Hey guys how are things in your areas? know the rivers in Cola are up way too high and Charleston is now part of the lost city of Atlantis ..... Hoping the best for you and your family's around you.
At least ya got a shallow drafting boat to get to the store on ... all jokes aside hoping for all is well.

 

[Andy S]

Thanks, things are good at my house. However, the roads into and out of Columbia are a mess.

I work for the local electric company (and at work right now) and it is tough right now making sure we have enough power to feed the homes that are still connected.

Another big concern is managing the inflow of water into the lake with enough discharge to prevent a dam breach plus limit the flooding in Columbia.

 

[Chris K]

oh man, so you are at the tip of the spear working for the power company. i cant imagine how dangerous a job that is while your vehicle is in a foot of moving water, and your playing with 880 volts or more. keep all that safety training at the front of your mind for sure.

 

[Andy S]

oh man, so you are at the tip of the spear working for the power company. i cant imagine how dangerous a job that is while your vehicle is in a foot of moving water, and your playing with 880 volts or more. keep all that safety training at the front of your mind for sure.

Actually I'm an office jockey, the folks in the field have the dangerous job. I buy and sell electric for the power company and am a vital tool that the dispatchers (people that control the power to meet the demand) use to balance the electric grid. Right now with all the scheduled plant maintenance on our system and the rain/flooding damage that has limited the output of running plants, we are buying a good bit of power to keep the lights on for those customers.

 

[Andy S]

USGS graph of how fast the 500,000 acre Lake Murray increased due to the recent rains, 3 feet in 24 hours. Once it was realized the storm was worse than forecasted the hydro plant was started the morning of Oct 2nd in an attempt to reduce the level enough to absorb the rain. Unfortunately it was enough so the spill way gates were open at noon on Oct 4th.


Since running the hydro facility at maximum output isn't enough to prevent a breach of the 1.5 mile long earthen dam, the spill way gates have been opened. Normally where the water is currently rushing that area is dry and 80' deep. Unfortunately this water is adding to the flooding along the river basin around Columbia, SC. If the earthen dam was breached and the concrete backup dam failed the flooding would be a 100x worse.

The view of the spill way with only about 10% of Lake Murray visible.

 

[textman]

We are good up my way. We got lucky and the rain stayed to the south of us. Prayers for the others and a speedy recovery. Stay strong SC...

 

[Mauimike]

My neighborhood! Water gone now...thank goodness for my Ram!

 

[Chris K]

oh man. we have some family in goose creek... needless to say like your place it was a pond as well. hopefully things are drying out so the surveying of damage can really start.

 

[SCSTWG]

I was in Myrtle Beach with 20 guys on a golf trip. We left after two days because the courses were unplayable and things were not getting any better. As bad as Myrtle Beach was, areas like Columbia were hit much harder.