Storm strangled access to Society Hill
Though some roads around Society Hill were temporarily flooded and closed due to Hurricane Florence, Mayor Tommy Bradshaw said on Tuesday (Sept. 18) that his town escaped the storm without major damage from wind, rain, or flooding. He adds that some reports incorrectly stated that all major roads around Society Hill were closed due to flooding and the town was isolated.
“Highway 15 to Hartsville, Highway 52 to Darlington, and Society Hill Road were overflowed. For about a day, you couldn’t take those roads to Hartsville or Darlington. What we did then was turn the (southbound) traffic around and divert them back to Cheraw or Bennettsville,” Bradshaw said.
“We don’t have any flooding. All the roads are open in Society Hill. There were trees blown across several roads, and that blocked roads and knocked the power out in several areas throughout town, but that’s all been corrected. I think everybody in town now has electricity. The whole town was without electricity for a day to a day and a half.”
Bradshaw said he was thankful that his town is located on the bluff side of the Great Pee Dee River, and that elevation offers some degree of protection from the rising waters.
“When the Great Pee Dee floods, it goes to Marlboro County, not to us. It’s mostly swamplands, timberlands, and farmlands… so that’s where most of the water goes. I’ve never known it to flood on the Society Hill side of the river.”
Mayor Bradshaw said that to his knowledge, only one home located on Cedar Creek actually experienced floodwater getting into the house.
