Columbia County dries out from flash flooding

Alycee Hooper videotaped the damage done to her 2002 Montero Sport after the water level rose high enough to seep into the interior and a floating station wagon hit it.

She was one of 15 residents evacuated from the Ridge Crossing Apartments Thursday night after flash floods hit the area.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Dan Miller said the apartment complex was in the hardest hit spot in the Augusta area.

"Sometimes you get the situations with a localized storm where the water fall outmatches the drainage," said Miller, adding that an estimated six to eight inches of rain fell at I-20 near the Columbia-Richmond County line.

Hooper said her part of the complex, located along I-20 near the Belair exit, experienced waist-high flooding. Residents there were evacuated by Martinez firefighters.

"I grabbed my cell phone, went to the Waffle House and called my brother-in-law," said Hooper, who spent the night in North Augusta.

Residents who didn't have a place to stay were moved to vacant apartments for the night. Red Cross workers were there the morning after to assist in the cleanup effort and providing vouchers to anyone needing to purchase supplies.

Director of Columbia County Emergency Services Pam Tucker said damage was reported in other parts of the county. Flash flooding was reported at Baston and Washington Road, Columbia and Thomas Road and Hillside Court. In all, Tucker said, there was $102,400 worth of private property damage.

She also notified CSX of flooded railroad tracks at Pleasant Home and Washington Road.

"We called them as a precaution," she said.

Some businesses are still dealing with the damage caused by Friday's weather. Harley Drew, Operations Director for the Martinez office of Beazley Broadcasting Group, said his office - which houses various studios such as WGAC 580 and 95 Rock - lost audio councils and amplifiers along with computer hardware and four satellite receivers.

In all, he estimated the damage will cost close to $20,000.

Some of the stations, such as 95 Rock, were still experiencing technical difficulties as late as Monday.