Record Floods Kill 9 in US State of South Carolina

COLUMBIA, UNITED STATESA: The death toll from record floods in the US state of South Carolina jumped from three to nine Monday, as tens of thousands were left without power and drinking water, the governor said.

Shaken residents sought refuge in shelters while authorities carried out evacuations by air since hundreds of roads and bridges were closed to traffic.

Some 26,000 other South Carolinians did not have electricity and 40,000 had no drinking water, said Haley who on Sunday called the extreme floods a once-in-a-thousand-year event.

Water distribution points were being planned for Columbia by the end of the day, since drinking from the city system was not considered safe after breaches in the canal supplying the city.

Other distribution centers were going to be added around the state in coming days.

Local media reported firefighters were pumping fresh water to the water systems of Columbia’s hospitals, which, like the rest of the city, had been advised to boil water before using it.

Schools remained closed Monday in Columbia, as did most government offices and shops.

The tropical air mass that has drenched the southeastern state since Thursday dumped 14 inches (35 centimeters) of rain over the weekend, a new record, according to the National Weather Service.

The Red Cross has opened some 30 shelters across South Carolina.

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Source:Ndtv