AASHTO Journal, 09 October 2015
Historic, torrential rainfalls that struck South Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Joaquin produced extensive flooding, closed hundreds of roads and bridges and left more than a dozen people dead.
Among the dead was SCDOT worker Timothy Wayne Gibson, 45. Acting SCDOT Secretary Christy Hall said Gibson died in flood waters in Columbia on Oct. 4 while overseeing work being done at that location.
“The SCDOT truck in which he was traveling was caught in rushing flood waters, overturned and was swept away,” the announcement said.
Said Hall: “The entire SCDOT family grieves for the loss of Timothy Gibson. We are proud of the way he served the citizens of South Carolina. He did not hesitate to put his life on the line to protect the public during the current state of emergency.”
Although Joaquin veered away from making U.S. landfall, its storm system combined with others and hit South Carolina especially hard with what Gov. Nikki Haley said was “rainfall of historic proportions.”
The heavy rains began Oct. 2, but road and bridge closures – including sections of interstate highways – increased well into the following week as rivers swelled for days afterward and high water broke through at least 13 dams.
By early on Oct. 8, the state Department of Transportation reported 268 road closures, plus 141 bridges closed. At one point SCDOT closed 70 miles of I-95, and was communicating with DOTs in neighboring states to warn long-distance highway traffic to expect major detours.
News reports said many roads or bridges were damaged and would need repairs when high water receded, and photos showed flood-gouged gaps in some roadways. Reports also said that as waters receded the shoulders of some roads were collapsing.
Gov. Haley said motorists were removing barriers to drive into blocked-off areas, and others were following into danger zones.
The Federal Highway Administration sent the state DOT $5 million in emergency relief funding to help cover immediate repair costs, and U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said that would be just the first phase of federal help for roadway repairs.
State authorities responded with teams working around the clock from the SCDOT, National Guard, and emergency management agencies.