Pee Dee Prepares for Michael, As Florence Recovery Continues

CHESTERFIELD, S.C. – As Hurricane Michael approaches, people in the Pee Dee are still recovering after the impact from Florence.

Part of five roads remain closed in Chesterfield County after Florence dropped 22-and-a-half inches of rain.

“It was all behind the building, and the backyard was like a swimming pool,” says Avis White.

Three weeks ago, she and her son left their home near the Pee Dee River in Wallace and evacuated to a nearby church.

“He’s handicapped, he had to take all of his machines and all of that, so we stayed three days and three nights there,” White says.

Now she’s hoping Hurricane Michael doesn’t cause more problems for people living in the area.

“I don’t think I could take another one, not having to move out like I did,” she says.

The five roads closed in Chesterfield County are mostly due to washouts or bridge failures. Emergency Management Director Harold Hainey says that’s down from 75 roads affected right after Florence.

But there’s a big concern a lot of rain again could wash away temporary fixes.

“Four inches is the last we heard on the rain, so if we can keep it under that, we may be OK, we just have to wait and see,” Hainey says.

He’s encouraged by forecasts showing Michael moving through quickly.

“It gives us a little bit of hope in there anyways, as long as it don’t stall out like Florence did, we should be in good shape,” Hainey says.

Monday afternoon, we saw crews continuing clean-up at Riverside park in Cheraw.

Nearby FEMA is operating a disaster recovery center, where hundreds have already filed claims for assistance.

On the other side of the river, White is hoping Michael’s worst stays away.

“I hope it goes further, one way or the other, not come this way,” she says.