Flooding in Upstate predicted after Ivan

Clear Spring Fire and Rescue Chief Greg Merritt, with fire fighters Robby Brannon and Sean Humphreys, works on preperations and materials that might be needed during hurricane season. Ken Osburn/Staff e-mail this story

The latest track for Ivan has it traveling the 200 miles from Huntsville, Ala. to Knoxville, Tenn. over two days. The National Weather Service in Greer is predicting up to 6 inches of rain to fall in the Upstate through Sunday morning, but the storm could continue through Tuesday.

Doug Outlaw, a meteorologist with the weather service, said parts of the western Carolinas could see "catastrophic flooding."

Many people were trying to prepare Tuesday.

Tommy Clark looked a little bewildered as he stood in the center aisle at the Home Depot on North Pleasantburg Drive, not knowing exactly what he should buy.

"With all the talk about Ivan coming at us, you feel like you'd better do something," said Clark, a 52-year-old Berea resident who owns his own landscaping business.

"Back when it flooded so bad in July, the creek behind our house ended up in our basement, and everything in the back yard got washed away," he said. "I hate the thought of going through all that again."

Finally, he decided on a few bags of sand he said he intends to stack at his basement door — along with a new flashlight and some extra batteries. He was hoping to buy a portable generator, but the home improvement center was out after already diverting part of its stock to Hurricane-ravaged Florida.

Because of all the uncertainty still surrounding Hurricane Ivan, preparing now for the worst possible scenario might not be a bad idea, officials said Tuesday.

The storm is now expected to hit the coast of Mississippi near Pascagoula about 7 a.m. Thursday, then churn on a northeastern track up through Alabama and Tennessee. The latest track, released by the National Hurricane Center at 5 p.m. Tuesday, has the storm stalling over northwestern Georgia and eastern Tennessee.

Official forecasts from the weather service also warn that "large scale flooding" could occur on "most rivers" in the region.

Forecasters say in addition to the rain, the area could see tropical storm-force winds exceeding 40 mph. Tornadoes also are a possibility.

"We've really got three things to worry about," said John Tomko, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Greer. "We'll be faced with the heavy rain, then we'll be dealing with the high winds and the threat of tornadoes."

There was evidence at the Army & Navy Store in downtown Greenville that folks were already heeding the warnings.

It is one of the few establishments locally that sells sandbags.

"People have been asking about them big time," Tod Marks said.

"That has been the majority of our calls today — sandbags. Just this morning, we've already had about a dozen calls. With the storm coming in, I guess people got a taste of it last week with Frances and want to be prepared."

Across Greenville County, emergency workers are taking the severe weather threat seriously, said Scot Wendelken, Greenville County's director of emergency management.

Representatives from the Greenville County Sheriff's Office Dive Team, the Greenville County Emergency Medical Service's Swift Water Rescue Team and Emergency Response Teams from local fire departments began coordinating their plans earlier this week, Wendelken said.

"We wanted to make sure that everybody was on the same page," he said. "Other than that, everybody is going over their emergency plans, and checking their equipment so they can be ready to go if they are needed.

"We're just hoping that people don't become complacent because you don't generally think of a hurricane causing problems this far inland. But we've had some of our worst weather in years past from hurricanes coming in off the Gulf.

"We're taking it serious because we know the ground is already saturated, and we're looking at the potential for high winds. That could be a treacherous combination."

The severe weather threat from Ivan led organizers of the "Upcountry Folklife Festival & Old Time Fiddlin' Convention" originally planned for this Saturday at the historic Hagood Mill near Pickens to reschedule the event for Nov. 20.

But officials overseeing Greenville's 13th annual "Art In The Park" said Tuesday they have no plans to cancel or reschedule this weekend's outdoor exhibition.

"We are definitely going on with the festival, but may move its original location at Falls Park on the Reedy to higher ground," said Lisa Connor, the event chairman.

The two-day event usually attracts thousands of visitors to Greenville. Artists from across the Southeast are invited to exhibit and sell fine arts and crafts in all mediums from paintings to jewelry. "Art In The Park" also includes a juried exhibition, a variety of art demonstrations and children's activities.

Officials with Greenville County Schools say no decisions have been made about canceling classes or extra-curricular activities in the event of severe weather.

Any decision about Friday night's football games likely will be left up to the individual schools, said Joe Broadus, director of athletics for Greenville County Schools.

"We haven't made any decisions at this point," Broadus said.

"Every school is watching the weather, and it will likely be left up to the individual school unless the weather becomes so severe that a districtwide call is needed. But I don't expect any decision to be made before Thursday."

Staff writer April M. Silvaggio can be reached at 298-4801.