Edisto River crest breaks 1928 record, causing dam failures and damaging roads and bridges in Orangeburg, South Carolina
A plume of moisture from Hurricane “Rafael” moved northward into the Southeastern United States and collided with a stationary front over South Carolina, causing intense rainfall in Orangeburg County on November 6 and 7, 2024. The extreme rainfall, totaling 180 – 380 mm (7 – 15 inches) in 24 hours, overwhelmed local ponds and dams, leading to failures that sent water downstream, damaging bridges and roads near Norway, South Carolina.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Columbia, between 180 – 250 mm (7 – 10 inches) of rain fell in the Orangeburg area on October 6 and 7, with some localized areas receiving up to 380 mm (15 inches).
“Earlier tonight, the North Fork of the Edisto River crested at a record level of 4.67 m (15.34 feet). This led to significant flooding in and around the city of Orangeburg. River levels will begin to fall, although the river will likely remain above flood stage through the weekend,” meteorologists at the NWS office in Columbia reported at 02:21 LT on November 8.
The resulting flood prompted Governor Henry McMaster to declare a state of emergency.
Authorities used boats to rescue stranded people, assisted several trapped in buildings in downtown Orangeburg, and rescued at least one person from a nearly submerged vehicle in Norway.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation closed 35 roads in Orangeburg and Calhoun Counties on November 7 due to flooding and flood-related damage. Drivers were advised to avoid traveling through affected areas, especially after dark, and to refrain from driving through flooded roadways or around barricades.
The city’s public utilities department reported power and water outages linked to the flooding, and the city opened its public gym as an emergency shelter. Orangeburg County Schools were closed on November 7 and 8 due to road closures.
“The flood water is finally starting to recede in Orangeburg after reaching a record flood level late Thursday at 4.67 m (15.34 feet). Over 0.3 m (1 foot) of rain and several small dam failures within the North Fork Edisto Basin pushed the river above both the 1928 record and the 2015 flooding level,” NWS said.
At 08:00 LT on November 9, the NWS reported ongoing flooding along the Edisto River, with flood conditions anticipated to continue through Monday.
While the river is receding at Orangeburg, flooding is expected to persist, and downstream at Branchville, the river levels are still rising. The NWS advised exercising caution around the Edisto River.
Featured image credit: SCDOT
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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