The waters continued to rise in Socastee, Bucksport, Longs, Conway, Nichols, and other local areas yesterday. President Trump arrived on the scene in Conway, S.C. It was clear he was here for those residents who are forced to evacuate their homes.
However, at the press conference put on in Conway, Horry County Representative Alan Clemmons took every opportunity to stress the need for I-73. This project is one that Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce leaders, Horry County Council Chairman Mark Lazarus, Senator Luke Rankin, and a host of other local delegates believe is among the top issue facing our area at this moment.
Yet scenes of people abandoning their homes continued to flood the pages of Facebook.
These same pictures could be provided for homes in Longs, Socastee, and along the Waccamaw. For the sake of the privacy of those abandoning, we are choosing not to include those without permission.
When Governor McMaster addressed Santee Cooper this week about the SandBagging that has occurred along Highway 501 recently, his top concern was not the highway being flooded. Rather it concerned Coal Ash getting into the Waccamaw River from the closed Santee Cooper facility. That was the key reason for the barricades. The Governor’s email can be seen below as released by Horry Representative Kevin Hardee.
We invited every major Hotel/Property manager along the Grand Strand to help find homes for Socastee evacuees. The Midtown Motel in Myrtle Beach quickly jumped at the opportunity. We never heard back from any of the other hotel managers. Karen Riorden of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce has not responded as of yet either.
Our President is clearly a populist who cares about average folks. Kudos to President Trump and the Midtown Motel for putting the needs of those at risk above politics.