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reprint or license thisHURRICANE SEASON
Alberto leaves behind wet calling card
Midlands gets up to 4 inches of rain as first tropical storm of season passes through state
By CAROLINE SMITH
casmith@thestate.com
Alberto fizzled Wednesday from a tropical storm to simply nasty weather — but it left a lot of rain behind in South Carolina.
The National Weather Service reported 3.79 inches of rain at Columbia Metropolitan Airport on Tuesday and through 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Charleston got 2.5 inches; Orangeburg, 3.95; Florence, 4; and Beaufort, 2.54. The Upstate stayed relatively dry, with just 0.46 inches of rain at the Greenville-Spartanburg weather station.
Possible tornadoes were reported in Berkeley, Charleston and Beaufort counties. Several buildings had roof damage in each case, and one person in a car was injured near Cross, law enforcement officials said.
In West Columbia, Cynthia Hernandez was shocked to find an inch of water covering the floor of the thrift store and animal adoption center where she works.
This was the first time the Sunset Boulevard facility affiliated with Pets Inc. flooded.
“I had myself a good cry, but you can’t sit and wallow in it,” said Hernandez, manager of Thrift Avenue.
She could not estimate how much damage was done, but said she is planning a “Rain Sale” today.
Businesses in Five Points in Columbia also battled the rains.
Loose Lucy’s prepared for the rain Tuesday night by placing sandbags in front of the store entrance. Owner Jenn McCallister didn’t want to take any risks after heavy rains Monday temporarily flooded the streets.
“We didn’t have any damage,” McCallister said. “Everything is in good shape, but it’s still early in the summer.”
Mayor Bob Coble said the problem areas are through the Five Points area down to Whaley and Main streets.
“We’ve made some improvements, but we’ll never be able to solve the deluge,” Coble said.
In Kershaw County, flooding damaged BellSouth offices, knocking out phone service in much of the county, including the emergency dispatch service.
By 6 p.m., the 911 service was up, but 1,300 customers still did not have phone service, 911 director Kirk Stropes said.
SCE&G reported about 2,400 customers in the Midlands and 2,200 in the Charleston area lost power Wednesday morning. By noon, most had regained electricity.
With Alberto gone, the forecast for the weekend looks bright — highs around 90, lows in the mid-60s and almost no chance of rain through Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
Reach Smith at (803) 771-8570.
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