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Landslides Possible in Mountains of the Upstate from Hurricane Florence, Governor Says

The threat of landslides in the mountainous areas of Greenville, Pickens and Oconee counties is a potential problem the state hasn't faced from a hurricane in recent memory.

Greenville, SC (Greenville News) - As Hurricane Florence makes landfall Friday, South Carolina’s emergency operations teams will turn their attention to the storm’s impact on the Upstate and Pee Dee basin in the days to come.

Anywhere from 4-10 inches of rain may fall over parts of the Upstate this weekend, causing flooding and toppling trees and leading to widespread power outages.

The threat of landslides in the mountainous areas of Greenville, Pickens and Oconee counties is a potential problem the state hasn’t faced from a hurricane in recent memory.

“This isn’t one that’s going to hit the coast and disappear quickly,” McMaster said at a briefing Thursday afternoon. “It’s going to hit the state and stay, maybe for two days.”

Seven inches of rain could fall at Caesars Head, McMaster said, increasing the risks posed by that much precipitation falling on already saturated soil.

“This is still a very dangerous storm, not only on the coast but also on the interior of the state,” he said.

Florence’s track places it over the majority of the state for two full days before another system from the west pushes it away.

Up to 15-20 inches of rain could fall in the Grand Strand, with more in isolated areas, while 4-10 inches could douse the Upstate and persist through Monday, said John Quagliariello, warning coordinator meteorologist at the National Weather Service station in Columbia.

River flooding will be an issue after the hurricane moves through, and may last for a week, particularly in the Pee Dee basin, said Alvin Taylor, director of the state Department of Natural Resources.

That’s the same area that flooded after Hurricane Matthew in 2016, leaving homes and businesses in ruins from Marion to Conway and devastating the town of Nichols.

Water from the Midlands and North Carolina rivers — where rainfall is expected to be heaviest — empties into the Pee Dee, and could once again flood the region, he said.

Much of the response depends on where it rains and how much, Taylor said.

“At the end of the day, once it starts raining, it’s going to depend on how much rain falls over what areas,” he said.

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