As it moved up the East Coast, Hurricane Debby was downgraded to a tropical storm, and now state departments of transportation are cleaning up the damage that was done to roads that were in its path.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is still responding to impacts of Debby while also preparing for additional heavy rainfall. According to SCDOT, there are closures on approximately 83 state-maintained roadways.
Approximately 2,300 personnel were mobilized for storm response. They worked to clear drainage structures, place barricades, and downed trees and debris from roadways.
All the flooding forced road closures and several detours to parts of Killian Road, with an entire section of the road under water.
SCDOT Is currently working to clear the debris around the road so they can fix the pipe that runs underneath the Dubard-Boyle Road sometime this week. A completion date is not set.
North Carolina was under a state of emergency to help speed up the preparations for the storm. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) readied over 2,200 employees for storm response along with equipment and vehicles.
North Carolina is still facing flood risks in multiple counties including Edgecombe, Nash, Halifax, and Cumberland counties.
In Georgia, 300 personnel from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) were deployed to tackle the flooding in Southern and Southeastern Georgia. Some areas saw 20 inches of rainfall.
Tropical Storm Debby has caused major flooding and damage across the Costal Empire.
Officials with Bulloch County are describing the damage to roads as catastrophic. They won’t be able to begin repairs until after floodwaters recede. Officials with Bulloch County say road repairs will be prioritized based on how well traveled the road is and the severity of the damage.
In a statement, GDOT said it is focused on clean-up and reopening operations first for interstate and then state routes. Crews from GDOT are still responding to downed trees, flooding, and blocked roads.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) said that minimal damaged was done to the state’s transportation system. It deployed 150 crews to complete a damage assessment on over 10,000 lane miles of state roads.
Agency crews completed “Cut & Toss” debris removal on 6,596 miles of roadway. Roads are now clear, except for flooded or inaccessible roadways, according to FDOT.
Federal aid is available to state, tribal and local recovery efforts in areas affected by the storm.
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Source: AASHTO, USA Today, WTOC-TV, WACH Columbia, ABC 11 News
