‘It’s just devastating’: Socastee, Conway see river levels rise, impacting residents and businesses

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Rivers levels are continuing to rise in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Debby, and areas in Horry County like Socastee and Conway are feeling the effects of the high water.

Water levels rose at a fast pace on Thursday at the Rosewood boat landing in Socastee.

“This happens every so often, and it’s just devastating, especially for the people down here.” Rosewood Drive resident Alan Coulombe said.

Rosewood Drive sits near the Intracoastal Waterway, and many people who live in the area told News13 they don’t plan to leave. Many, however, have moved their vehicle out of harm’s way.

Johnny Dozier, who has lived in the area for three years, said this is his family’s first flood experience and that they’re a little worried.

“Sit on the back porch and we’re watching the water in the backyard rising,” Dozier said. “Each [of] the last couple of days, we’ve watched it and marked it with a stick, and it’s moving fast.”

Horry County fire and police personnel stopped by the landing on Thursday, and one resident said it’s comforting to know that the county officials are doing what they can.

Coulombe, who lives on higher ground off Rosewood, said he doesn’t experience much flooding but that it’s heartbreaking to watch those whose homes flood and see all of their personal belongings in the street.

“A lot of the people down here are just going to have to find a place to go to really, you know, and especially for a few months till everything gets rebuilt again,” Coulombe said. “It’s just gonna be a nightmare after all the water recedes eventually.”

In Conway near the Waccamaw River, the marina has already seen some flooding. Waccamaw Outfitters suspended part of its operations earlier in the week, and on Thursday, the road in the area was completely flooded, forcing the closure of Elm Street. Waccamaw Outfitters will remain closed until the road opens back up and the floodwaters recede.

Conway resident Yolanda Dukes said she’s seen water levels rise over the past few days, but it hasn’t gone past the marina.

“It’s up this high already, just from yesterday,” she said. “I can’t believe it like, oh, my gosh, and all this is from after the hurricane, even though the hurricane was last week, and it was a tropical storm.”

Meanwhile, officials urged people to slow down if they’re on the water to avoid creating any wakes, which can damage the property of people living near the water.

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Adrianna Lawrence is a multimedia journalist at News13. Adrianna is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and joined the News13 team in June 2023 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2023. Keep up with Adrianna on Instagram, Facebook , and X, formerly Twitter . You can also read more of her work, here .

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