Greenville escapes widespread damage as Ivan-spawned rains pass

Three tractor-trailers rest crushed by a huge tree that split them down the middle and took out the storage trailers beside the parking lot of Renfrew Baptist Church in Travelers Rest Friday morning. Staff/Owen Riley Jr. Hurricanes - Photo gallery - Tracking Map - Print a tracking map AP STORM HEADLINES Recent Headlines: Ivan rips through Upstate Greenville escapes widespread damage as Ivan-spawned rains pass Storm leaves mark on Neal St. home Two firefighters hurt when fire truck hits tree Read more of GreenvilleOnline's coverage of Hurricanes >> e-mail this story

Black said one of the ways the devil tried to defeat the efforts at Renfrew Baptist Church in Travelers Rest was through the remnants of Hurricane Ivan.

High winds and heavy rains caused an oak tree at the church to split in half and slice into three tractor-trailers that stored thousands of dollars of the church's equipment.

"When I got to work and saw the destruction, I was shocked," said Black, ministerial assistant at Renfrew. "He (the devil) tried to defeat us, and our purpose of reaching those for the Lord."

But that won't work, Renfrew Pastor John Ferguson said. "We're here to help people," he said. "It's not going to affect that."

At least 1,000 cushioned folding chairs, racks for chairs, bleachers, and tables that would fill a new gymatorium being built behind the current sanctuary were being stored in the trailers.

It will take an estimated $40,000 to $60,000 to replace those furnishing and items that were waiting to fill it.

While Greenville County escaped any serious flooding and wind damage, there were small problems that made life a little hectic. For instance, some long distance telephone carriers were experiencing problems, and various ATM machines weren't working.

Willimette Robinson had packed small suitcase with a change of clothes and her prescription medications — just in case her small frame house off Mills Avenue in Greenville lost power. She'd already decided if things started to get treacherous, she was going to a shelter.

"I'm just thanking the Lord today," the 67-year-old retired seamstress said Friday. "My lights blinked a few times last night, but they didn't go out. I kept peeking out the windows, but I never really got scared."

The rain caused numerous creeks and rivers to rise, but none were at flood state Friday morning.

However, Scot Wendelken, Greenville County's director of emergency management, warned that could change depending on the path the storm takes.

"That is really going to be the determining factor on whether we have a busy weekend with flooding," Wendelken said. "We may have some flooding issues over the weekend, when the water from the northern part of the county reaches down-river."

But so far, so good, he said.

"There are some power outages in Greenville County, but we have no roads blocked," Wendelken said.

"I think the worst of the wind is over. We're just still uncertain about the rain potential. When the storm tracked through, it stayed west of us."

Staff writer John Boyanoski contributed to this report.