Lamar Storm Response
Lamar’s Interim Chief of Police Robbie Kilgo (right) and volunteers from Lee County Fire and Rescue unload sandbags donated by the South Carolina Army National Guard. Photo courtesy of Darnell McPherson
Almost 12 inches of rain fell in the Darlington and Hartsville area between Friday and Monday, causing roads to flood, storm drains to overflow, and pushing local waterways beyond their banks. High winds felled trees onto homes and utility lines, causing many communities to lose power.
Town of Lamar Mayor Darnell McPherson said that planning and teamwork helped her town to come away from the storm with little damage.
“We executed our emergency prep plan. We distributed almost 3,000 sand bags to businesses and residents. There were a few power outages, but we survived with no loss of life and no flooding,” said McPherson.
The mayor noted that keeping Lamar safe during the storm was a group effort, with several entities pitching in to help.
“We are very grateful to the Darlington County Emergency Management Team ensuring we had generators and sand bags, the SC National Guard for delivering the bags – they’re a great group of service people. We are also grateful to the City of Hartsville for their guidance in hurricane prep, and the Darlington County Water and Sewer Authority for ensuring our pump stations were operational during the storm! Lastly, the American Red Cross personnel who manned our shelter, and the brave and dedicated employees of the town who demonstrated a level of dedication which speaks volumes about them as individuals. Thanks to all who helped in any manner,” said McPherson.
