Rivers are swelling in the Grand Strand and Pee Dee. Here's what to expect. (2024)

FLORENCE — Waterways in the Grand Strand and Pee Dee are still feeling the effects of Tropical Storm Debby after it drenched the region on Aug. 7 and 8.

The Great Pee Dee River near the Florence County and Marion County line is expected to reach moderate flood levels when it crests on Aug. 14, according to the National Weather Service.

The river is expected to crest at 24.8 feet. The flooding isn’t exactly historic, National Weather Service Senior Service Hydrologist Rick Neuherz said. It may make the top 40 on the agency’s list of historic floods.

“It’s very average, honestly,” Neuherz said. “It’s in the bottom half of the moderate flood category.”

Flood waters in the area will largely affect swaths of swamp, timberland and farmland without impeding residential areas or main roads.

The Great Pee Dee River helps drain water from central North Carolina and several counties in South Carolina. The crest is coming a week after the initial rainfall because water moves slowly due to the river’s large floodplain — water spreads across the area and loses speed.

Debby’s abnormal rainfall pattern added to the river’s sluggish response, Neuherz said.

Rain from Debby fell from southeast to northwest when it usually comes south to north or west to east, Neuherz said. Although rain fell downstream first, the storm moved upstream and dumped rain into basins as it went. Water is still washing downstream.

Water levels are expected to be below flood stage the week of Aug. 19, Neuherz said. It’s expected to drop to minor flood stage as soon as Aug. 16.

Lynches River in Effingham is expected to crest at 15.1 feet – minor flood stage — on Aug.14. Some areas near Friendfield Road and Old Georgetown Road are experiencing minor flooding, Florence County Emergency Management Public Information Officer Jessica Joe said.

The agency doesn’t expect flood waters to affect residential areas.

Horry County officials don’t expect widespread flood damage, either.

As the Waccamaw and Little Pee Dee rivers swelled over the weekend, the Horry County Police Department closed at least a dozen boat landings because they were inaccessible. County officials said they are regularly checking those sites and monitoring river levels.

National Weather Service forecasters are now expecting major flooding on the Little Pee Dee at Galivants Ferry and along the Waccamaw in Conway. They also said minor flooding is likely on the Waccamaw at Longs and on the Intracoastal Waterway at Socastee.

Officials pointed out that the areas flooding now typically see inundation after heavy rains. They are places like Long Avenue and Sherwood Drive in Conway, and Waccamaw Circle, Savannah Bluff and Pitch Landing just outside the city.

In Socastee, the Intracoastal Waterway could reach the minor flood stage of 15 feet later this week and rise by two more feet for a crest early next week. The NWS said flood-prone neighborhoods like Rosewood Drive, Recreation Road and Star Creek Circle will see rising waters begin to enter about three dozen ground-level structures. About 24 others in that area could flood, too, according to the NWS.

The flooding, however, is not close to the levels the area saw after hurricanes Matthew in 2016 and Florence in 2018, Horry County spokesman Thomas Bell said.

“We’re not expecting that kind of historic level that we’ve seen with some past events,” Bell said. “We just want people to understand the frame of reference, but it has been a little while since we’ve seen any water rises on the river. So we just want to make sure people aren’t caught off guard by that.”

Charles Perry contributed to this report.