POST-FLOOD NEWS DEVELOPMENTS

WEST COLUMBIA REOPENS RIVERWALK

The city of West Columbia on Friday opened portions of its riverwalk and amphitheater. The popular amphitheater and nearby walkways were closed for 14 days because of the area’s historic flooding.

Public Works employees made reopening the park a priority. Some portions of the linear park, which runs along the Congaree River, remain closed. Visitors are reminded to not enter areas that have been marked as closed.

COLUMBIA’S RIVERFRONT PARK STILL CLOSED

Riverfront Park, located at 312 Laurel St., next to the Columbia Canal, will continues to be closed to the public for the next month, the Columbia Parks and Recreation Department announced.

The closure allows work to continue on the canal, which serves as a water reservoir for the city and was breached by the Congaree River two weeks ago. The linear park runs alongside the canal.

The repairs are expected to take up to 30 days, the city said.

AREA BUS RIDES ARE FREE

The Midlands’ COMET bus system is offering fare-free service through Sunday, Oct. 25, as the Midlands community continues to recover from last week’s flooding.

The COMET is now operating on all routes except Route 88 – as close to a full schedule as road conditions will allow, officials said.

The modified Route 47 that runs through Lower Richland, normally on weekdays only, will run on Saturday and Sunday. A revised map of the detour will be posted online.

COLUMBIA, RICHLAND DAMAGES MEETING

Columbia and Richland County are holding open houses Monday to help answer residents’ questions about the flood repair and rebuilding permitting process:

▪ 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m.: Woodland Park, 6500 Olde Knight Pkwy

▪ 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m.: M.L. Smith Community Center, 5213 Farrow Road, across from the Greater St. Luke Baptist Church

The open house are designed to answer homeowner and contractor questions about the permitting application process in a one-on-one setting. Attendees can learn whether their property is in a floodplain, pick up a permit application packet, determine their property value and have any questions regarding the application process answered. No permits will be issued at these meetings.

LEXINGTON DAMAGES MEETING

Lexington County will hold a community meeting at Seven Oaks Park at 200 Leisure Lane from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. Tuesday. Anyone who sustained flood damage from the recent storm event is encouraged to attend.

The National Flood Insurance Program’s state coordinator, along with state and county officials, will answer questions about the storm and damage left behind.

The discussion will center on FEMA regulations for storm damaged homes located in the regulatory floodplain and explain the county’s permitting process for repairing damaged homes.

FREE TETANUS SHOTS

State health regulatos are providing no-cost Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccinations from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday at St. Andrews Park, 902 Beatty Road.

If you were in an area that flooded or have been helping with flood cleanup, you might need a tetanus shot to prevent bacterial infection of a wound.

WATER, SEWER ISSUES

City of Columbia officials Friday morning announced a sanitary sewer overflow near Forest Drive.

Officials said there was an overflow of the sanitary sewer near the intersection of Greg Parkway and Forest Drive in Richland County. The overflow situation appears to be the result of a mainline blockage within the gravity sewer system and is entering Gills Creek, officials said.

Anyone with questions is urged to call (803) 545-3300.

The city also on Friday repealed the ongoing boil water advisory for a portion of Kay Street in St. Andrews, the last large break in a system line.

The 24-inch water line damaged in the flood has been repaired and flushed, water officials said Friday afternoon. Water is “safe to use for drinking and cooking purposes,” they said in a news release.

This story was originally published October 16, 2015 at 6:03 PM.