Charleston, South Carolina – The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning for Charleston on Thursday evening, with king tides likely in some locations Friday morning.
Several locations were briefly closed due to flooding following the peak of the tide. Some of these included sections of South Market Street, Hagood Avenue, and Lockwood Drive.
The high tide occurred at 10:06 a.m. and receded approximately 10:30 a.m. It grew to nearly eight feet, disrupting some people’s commutes.
“Even coming in this morning, it appeared that the roadway, I-26, and Dorchester were flooded. Kailin Sullivan, a jewelry salesman at Charleston City Market, said it usually takes her 30 minutes to get here, but today it took her about an hour. “Definitely not the most fun, and it is kind of dangerous sometimes when I have to work down here for eight hours, morning to night.”
Business proprietors in the outdoor market told News 2 that they attempt to organize their morning activities around the weather and tides. Charleston Police typically fence South Market Street from State Street to Church Street to protect businesses from flooding.
“For us, we typically have to be very careful, especially with the road behind me,” says Sullivan. “Usually the tide comes up, the water level starts rising and rising, so anything will affect us, so we really pay attention to the weather first thing in the morning.”
The city has enacted a flood mitigation plan. This includes creating free garages at the Charleston Tech Center and 99 WestEdge, installing pumps in low-lying neighborhoods, and erecting barricades on flood-prone routes.
Despite the rain and tidal floods, some firms reported higher-than-expected business and are optimistic that the next king tide will have no influence on them.
“This morning, there were few people walking through, but the water began to recede. We began to notice a lot of people coming in; it’s now quite busy,” said Amy Looney, company owner at the Charleston City Market. “I think it will be really busy this weekend, even though tomorrow morning there might be more – it recedes really fast.”
Officials urge everyone not to drive through flooded roads and to expect delays for the next 24 hours during high tides. The next high tide is scheduled for 11:02 a.m. on October 10, with an expected height of 8.5 feet.
