Debby destroys roads in Jasper, floods streets in Bluffton. Here are the problem areas

Even after Tropical Storm Debby crept off the Georgia coast and permitted a relatively quiet Tuesday evening in the Lowcountry, thousands in Beaufort County woke up Wednesday to find their front yards and neighborhood roads still swamped with floodwater .

Residents of several Bluffton communities — including The Farm at Buckwalter, Hampton Hall and Alljoy — saw the waters rise to unprecedented levels. Many stayed home from work in fear of their vehicles getting stuck. At The Farm, water began seeping into several homes as drivers generated waves while attempting to pass through the inundated roads, pushing the waters even further uphill. After lagoons overflowed near Hampton Hall, alligators were seen swimming in the floodwater that blanketed front yards and flowerbeds.

Even still, the worst flooding locally might be happening a county over. Unlike in Beaufort County, several roadways in the Jasper County area have split apart completely due to erosion from Debby’s heavy rainfall. At the same time, areas of Hardeeville and Ridgeland were overtaken by floodwater in front yards and city streets.

As of Wednesday afternoon, officials had reported the following washouts in Jasper County:

• Langfordville Road: Large amounts of floodwater rushing perpendicular to the back road burrowed an approximately 20-foot gap in the pavement slightly east of its intersection with State Road S-27-87 (Firetower Road). The road was closed from U.S. 278 to Pineland Road as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation’s interactive road closures map .

• Rivers Hill Road: More erosion caused a lengthy collapse on the side of this winding roadway, Jasper County firefighters said, although the exact location of the damage was unknown.

It was unclear as of Wednesday evening whether SCDOT had begun repairs on the roadways.

Large amounts of floodwater also filled roadways and spilled into front yards across the county, such as the Abbey Glen at New River community off U.S. 278, the Walsh Drive Apartments in Hardeeville and the Knights Inn in Yemassee. A full list of impacted areas and road closures can be found on the Facebook page of the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office .

The steady rainfall also began to overflow Captain Bill Creek, an approximately three-mile waterway that runs north-south through most of Ridgeland town limits. As the water approached the nearby Jasper County Detention Center on Tuesday, staff considered evacuating the jail due to a “life safety concern” for the inmates inside, according to Russell Wells, the director of Jasper County Emergency Services. But the water began receding late Tuesday night, prompting officials to stay put.

Local law enforcement continue to advise residents to stay home if possible and to never drive through or swim in floodwater, which could contain alligators, snakes, harmful bacteria and more.

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