Laurens County was placed under Flash Flood Warnings for several hours yesterday. Heavy rainfall caused concern about flooded roadways and property. Just before 3:00 in the afternoon, as the first warning was about to expire, another warning was announced, extending the warning until 9:00 last night.
Cross Hill was hit hard by the storm, during which one house burned and more than one roadway was flooded.
A bridge on Highway 560 just down the hill from Downtown Cross Hill was washed out in the early October floods. That same section of low-lying highway was under water again yesterday.
At 12:39 Deputy Richey was dispatched to Hip Drive in Cross Hill to help with traffic control due to a house fire. He reported that on his arrival at the intersection of Highway 39 and SC 560 he discovered the entrance to Highway 560 was severely flooded, due to excessive rainfall. Deputy Richey blocked the entrance to Highway 560 off Highway 39 and had SCDOT notified. SCDOT arrived at 1:31 to close the highway.
Further upstream that same creek, East Liberty Springs Road was also under water yesterday, between the Cross Hill Town Hall and Fire Station and the old Cross Hill School.
Also closed for a time last night due to high water was Harris Springs Road between Cross Hill and Waterloo.
In issuing the Flash Food Warnings for Laurens County yesterday, the National Weather Service issued reminders to avoid attempting to drive across moving water, as most flood fatalities occur when someone’s vehicle is caught in the current and swept into the stream.
Reports in Missouri overnight noted that even a train was washed from the railroad tracks in flooding there.
Many roadways around Laurens County continue to have areas of standing water in the roadway. While not as dangerous as a flowing stream, these areas of standing water can cause loss of control. So drive carefully.