Spartanburg Hit By Floods and Downed Trees: Local Community Reacts
In the east side of Spartanburg, residents are dealing with more than just fallen trees and power lines. The streets in the suburb are submerged under water from the nearby Lawsons Fork Creek. This creek, usually a peaceful neighbor, has expanded past its usual borders following recent heavy rain.
Local residents Ed and Kristen Griffin, Jennifer O’Shields, Amber Hodge, and their children spent Friday afternoon studying the catastrophe that had disrupted their neighborhood. “We have water coming all the way up to our driveway, and it has flooded our road,” shared Ed Griffin.
Residents Deal with Inundation and Fallen Trees
The eastern side of their road, the families report, is covered with fallen trees, with as many as 15 counted on their walk down the road. “We had to climb over trees all the way down the road to get to Fernwood Drive,” Griffin added. Residents currently find themselves virtually trapped with O’Shields adding, “The water is probably halfway through the yard, and we live on a hill. So, there is no way to get out.”
The residents have pointed out that the water level is not uniform throughout the road. Although either end of Dupre Drive is dry, the water in the middle is not only deep but in places, it is fast moving. What compounds the problem is the presence of downed power lines in the water, posing an electrical risk.
Neighbors Come Together in a Time of Crisis
Meanwhile, the residents of the neighboring Converse Heights have also been dealing with their share of damage. Many of the old oak trees shading the historic neighborhood have fallen, blocking streets and in some cases, hitting houses. This crisis, though, seems to have brought the community together with neighbors working to clear fallen trees to ensure access in and out of the neighborhood.
For some residents, the disaster has disrupted long-awaited plans. Brian Naylor had to reschedule his 30th anniversary vacation due to multiple trees hitting his home. “Was sitting at home this morning, ready to go on a 30th anniversary out west only to have a tree hit a power line,” Naylor shared. Following the incident, Naylor sensibly moved his car – just before another tree fell over where it initially stood.“It almost hit me“, he added.
Unfortunately, this was not the end of his troubles. Yet another fallen tree caused a gas leak at his place, compounding their problems.
A Neighborhood in Shock
Kathryn Harvey, a long-time resident of Otis Boulevard, expressed her shock at the state of their neighborhood. “I don’t remember seeing the magnitude of this. This is an old neighborhood, and the trees are as old as anything. And when they get waterlogged and the ground gets soaked, that’s it,” Harvey emotionally shared.
In light of the recent happenings, Spartanburg is not just dealing with material damage but also the emotional turmoil caused by the abrupt change to their peaceful neighborhood. As the residents navigate through these challenges, their stories remind us of the strength of a community in times of crisis.
