BAMBERG, SC (WRDW/WAGT) – More than 120 roads in Orangeburg County remain closed or blocked due to damage from last week’s flooding, and schools were closed across the county Monday.

Authorities said about 126 roads in the county are closed due to water concentrated in the Neeses area.

Orangeburg County and other areas of eastern South Carolina are still reeling from major flooding from last week’s heavy rains. Many areas saw 10-15 inches of rain.

Some people living along the Edisto River are evacuating in Colleton County, and Bamberg and Orangeburg counties are on flood watch along the river.

Although Bamberg County students returned to class Monday, Orangeburg County School District officials decided to keep schools closed for a third day.

“This decision is critical and comes as more than 140 roads in our county are closed, making safe transportation to and from school impossible,” the district said in a Facebook post.

“We are actively working with local and state emergency management officials who are diligently assessing conditions and working to establish safe routes for our school buses and our families.”

The closures come after schools in the county suffered power outages due to heavy rain and flooding.

Robert E. Howard Middle School had flooding under the doors and a power outage.

Bethune-Bowman Elementary School also experienced a power outage. However, all power has been restored.

According to Superintendent Shawn Foster, at least two schools had flooding in their media centers.

Flooding has damaged water mains, making it difficult for many Orangeburg County residents to find fresh drinking water.

The Neeses Fire Department and the South Carolina State Guard help provide this resource to people in the area by providing bottled water to those who need it.

“We have a distribution point set up at the Neeses Fire Department where the public can come and get bottled water for free,” Staley said, “If you live in that community, it might help alleviate some of that. “

More than 100 roads remain closed in Orangeburg County.

In Colleton County, firefighters are evacuating people near the community of Whetstone Crossroads. Residents tell them the water level is higher now than it was after Tropical Storm Debby.

Deputies say residents should “please heed the warnings and prepare to leave before it’s too late”.

Authorities said the river could continue to rise for days.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster both declared states of emergency for counties affected by catastrophic flooding and road damage.

In Georgia, the state of emergency will last until Wednesday for areas including Emanuel, Jefferson and Screven counties.

McMaster’s executive order activates the South Carolina Emergency Operations Plan and complements flood response efforts in the Midlands and Lowcountry regions.

“The state of emergency will ensure that our response teams have all the tools at their disposal to continue their efforts,” McMaster said.

After a dry October, many are now having to deal with damage caused by flash floods.

The flooding led to cancellations and delays for school districts including Aiken County and Orangeburg County.

In Orangeburg County, part of the sidewalk was badly damaged in washouts, leading to dozens of closed roads.

In Aiken County, the intersection of University Parkway and Vaucluse Road was closed.

In Emanuel County, high water closed the bridge on Highway 80 at 15 Mile Creek, just outside the Twin Cities, heading toward Portal. The Emanuel County Board of Commissioners has announced several other road closures Facebook page.

Many areas received 7-10 inches of rain, with totals of up to 15 inches in some localized areas, and flooding on the Edisto River is expected to continue into next week.

Schools were closed Thursday and Friday in Orangeburg County, while Bamberg County schools had eLearning days Thursday and Friday, and the school day was postponed Thursday in Aiken County.

It’s a similar story in Bamberg County, which has been hit repeatedly this year by severe weather.

At first glance, some areas look like lakes, but they are actually roads.

In Bamberg County, resident Paul Eubanks says, “We live in a swamp. Most of Bamberg County is in a swampy area.”

It is a common place to see a lot of rain.

“It doesn’t rain like that, not like that. Those two nights, it just rained and rained and rained and rained,” Eubanks said.

The rain swallows the roads with water.

“Right here, the water got right behind these benches, almost up to this one tree,” he said. “A couple of outbuildings were washed away and we had water under a couple of houses which can cause problems.”

PHOTO GALLERY: ORANGEBURG COUNTY FLOODING

If you ask Eubanks, he says his family is lucky to be where they are.

“Here, we’re in pretty good shape. We are on fairly high ground. In other places, like down there, closer to the Hunters Chapel community and the Edisto River Road community, we have houses down there that are now in the water,” Eubanks said.

Some areas are constantly recovering.

“We have roads that we just repaired from the last rain and the drains are blown. We have some small bridges washed out,” Eubanks said.

Bamberg County Public Information Officer Alisha Moore said, “You don’t think we’ve fully recovered from Debbie because right after Debbie, Helene came. Because we got used to it and faced each other season after season. You know, people kind of already know what to do.”

Emergency officials already know which roads to watch out for whenever it rains.

“Roads like Half Moon and Sweet Pea are constantly flooded. Those roads are always under water. We are in the process of finding the funding we need to help with the drainage issue. But you know, one thing at a time, and I hope we get there, and I know we will,” Moore said.

Until then, Eubanks says, “You have to prioritize things, and it’s frustrating because you see so many things that need to be done. You can’t, we just can’t do it all at once.”

Residents are urged to avoid driving in areas that may be heavily affected and to avoid driving on flooded roads.

Edisto Assistant Fire Chief Jordan Demsey assisted with a water rescue around 8 a.m. Friday after a car drove off this broken bridge and into Roberts Swamp.

Demsey said both passengers suffered minor injuries but were able to get out of the vehicle on their own before his arrival. He believes water levels in the Edisto River continue to rise and says many of the closures are due to road and bridge washouts.

He is urging people to stay away from areas still closed, such as Binnicker Bridge Road, saying people are putting their lives at risk by ignoring the barricades.

“If you fall into that water or get trapped under a piece of asphalt that’s also under that water, then you’re not going to be able to find your way back,” Dempsey said, “you can be disoriented and not know which. the road has arrived, so we say it’s best to stay away from any road closures.”

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