07&08/October/2016 – Hurricane Matthew

Hurricane Matthew brushed the South Carolina coast late Friday (07-October) evening and through Saturday (08-October), bringing high winds and heavy rains. Colleton’s mainland suffered widespread power outages, trees down, fallen power lines, blocked roads and flooding. Edisto Island and the Town of Edisto Beach, took a much heavier hit, with a total loss of power and much of the same the problems effecting the rest of the Lowcountry. Edisto received heavy flooding and close to four feet of sand washed in over Palmetto Blvd. One home collapsed, with many others receiving substantial damage. The Island and lower Colleton County was ordered to evacuate the area ahead of the storm. All emergency services were moved from the Island Thursday and Friday. Fire-Rescue activated it’s EOC Tuesday to monitor the storm and coordinate activities. The Fire-Rescue EOC was staffed around the clock from Wednesday morning until Monday morning. Beaufort and Jasper County Hospitals closed and were evacuated Thursday and Friday, forcing those counties to transport patients to Colleton Medical Center. Fire-Rescue responded ambulances to three responses in Beaufort County to transport patients back to Colleton Medical Center during the storm.

An entire shift was recalled to cover Friday and Saturday and a partial recall was used Sunday to insure adequate staffing for response and recovery operations. Responses proved to be challenging in some cases. With the large number of downed trees and power lines, navigating through the county was difficult. Firefighters in 4x4 trucks responded with some ambulances, so crews with chainsaws could cut a path into some areas to reach patients. In one case, it took 2-1/2 hours to reach a pregnant woman on Community Ave north of Smoaks. A structure fire on Cottageville Hwy near Round O Crossroads, was hampered by downed trees. Units from Station # 9 reached the structure and were able to combat the fire, but additional units took 45 minutes to assist them. Two stations could not reach the scene. Additional responding units had to use chainsaws to clear a path from Walterboro on Cottageville Hwy to reach the on scene units. The home was saved, but suffered heavy damage to the attached garage. A wheelchair bound woman was rescued from the burning structure.  

Crews also monitored the levels and checked on staff/occupants at the storm shelter at Colleton Middle School. The occupancy was at nearly 250 people for two days. Medic 19 and Medic 102 routinely checked on the folks staying in the shelter and even cleaned the showers for the people staying there. Red Cross operated the shelter.

State Fire positioned three boat teams from Columbia and the Upstate in Colleton County. The teams were placed at the Recreation Center and later deployed to Dorchester County after the storm had passed. Pennsylvania Task Force 1 was also stranded here after I-95 became flooded and they could not reach their destination in Georgia. Their 80 member team was also placed at the Recreation Center until they could leave Sunday.

Local residents, private contractors and DOT Crews have been diligently working to clear the roadways and power crews are striving to restore electricity to residents.