GEORGETOWN, S.C. (WCBD) – Georgetown city council members on Thursday discussed a potentially new ordinance that would make it illegal to drive faster than five miles per hour through streets flooded with more than six inches of water. “We are in hurricane season, and we know there is the potential for severe flooding every year. […]
GEORGETOWN, S.C. (WCBD) – Georgetown city council members on Thursday discussed a potentially new ordinance that would make it illegal to drive faster than five miles per hour through streets flooded with more than six inches of water.
“We are in hurricane season, and we know there is the potential for severe flooding every year. What we’re doing as the council is being proactive, and that’s what it means. I’m just looking out for residents within our city,” said Tamika Williams Obeng, a council member for Georgetown.
Similar ordinances have been passed in other low-cost municipalities like Charleston to prevent damage to nearby homes caused by car wakes.
“Sometimes, cars will try to come through, and it only makes it worse because it pushes the water more into the house so that the barricades will help,” said Gerald Williams, a resident on Sims Street.
News 2 spoke to some neighbors who said they felt like the ordinance was just a Band-Aid and that the more significant focus should be addressing the underlying infrastructure issues.
“They closed out many of these ditches around here, and we don’t have big pipes to handle the water flow. Rerouting the cars will not stop the flooding or water from getting into our homes,” said Cassandra Jackson, a resident of Sims Street.
We will continue to update as officials release more information about the potential ordinance.