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Widespread Floods Delay Schools, Spark Evac

Flooding Reported In The Upstate, Mountains

POSTED: 2:17 pm EDT September 20, 2009
UPDATED: 12:40 pm EDT September 21, 2009

The flooding has caused damage throughout Oconee County and several counties in western North Carolina.

Oconee County Emergency Management said the following roads are closed: Camp Road, Lester Lane, Lay Mill Road, George Todd Road, McGee Road, Bush Creek Road, Conerross Farm Road and Whitecut Road. That number is down from the 30 road closures that were reported on Sunday evening. Several bridges were out and some smaller dams were breaking under pressure in northern Oconee, according to the sheriff's office.

Oconee County Emergency Management Director Rodney Burdette said Monday crews are on standby as another storm system is approaching the area. Burdette said most of the creeks and rivers had receded that were reported out of their banks on Sunday. But added this approaching storm system could change things as the ground is extremely saturated.

The National Weather Service said more than 8 inches of rain fell in Walhalla between Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon. Burdette said he recorded about 10 inches of rainfall at his Walhalla home. Burdette said one family in Walhalla and one in Salem were evacuated.

Oconee County Emergency Management issued a voluntary evacuation order on Sunday for residents of Cooper Road near the Georgia border of Oconee County, due to rising waters in that roadway. An emergency shelter was opened at the Westminster Baptist Church in Westminster, S.C., for residents who are unable to relocate with family or friends. The American Red Cross shut down that shelter late Sunday night.

Authorities are urging people to stay off the roads in Oconee County if possible. Road crews and law enforcement officials are working to keep drivers out of dangerous areas.

Burdette said the area north of Walhalla, S.C., and the western parts of Oconee County are getting hammered by heavy rain.

Significant flooding should be reported to the Oconee 911 center at 864-638-4111.

Authorities in Western North Carolina are reporting several road closures. The hardest hit areas appear to be Henderson, Transylvania and Polk Counties.

As of Monday morning, there had been no reports of serious injuries due to flooding. The major flooding caused school officials in Oconee County and Transylvania County to be on a 2-hour delay Monday morning.

FOX Carolina has crews scattered throughout the Upstate covering the weather. Stay with FOX Carolina News and Foxcarolina.com for the latest on this developing story.

If you have pictures of the floods, you can upload them into our community slideshow, or send them into our newsroom at foxcarolinanews@foxcarolina.com or weather@foxcarolina.com. Please make sure to tell us where the picture was taken and describe the subject of the photo. We may use your pictures on the news.

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