Travel limited to boats along Lee’s Landing as Waccamaw River slowly ebbs

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — More than a week after Tropical Storm Debby inundated parts of Horry County, people in the flood-prone Lee’s Landing community are still battling waist-deep water.

Many have been forced to boat in and out of their homes and abandon their cars on higher ground to spare them from damage.

For newcomers to the area, it might be a striking image: Weary homeowners, sometimes with their pets, navigating murky waters for necessary trips.

However, Horry County spokesman Thomas Bell said the scenes that played out Sunday in the neighborhood backed against the swollen Waccamaw River is nothing out of the ordinary following major storms.

“The county overall is doing very well,” Bell said. “Most people do not live on the waterways and are not impacted by the flooding. But for the folks who are, it’s not a great end of the week and heading into this next week, but the waters will go down,” he said.

That’s already begun to happen. As of 4 p.m. Sunday, the Waccamaw remained at major flood stage sitting just below 15 feet. It’s expected to recede to about 12 feet by Aug. 28, according to National Weather Service projections.

Several people who live on higher ground have left snacks and bottled water to help those unable to restock their pantries and refrigerators.

“People really do a good job of pitching in and helping out where they can, and we’re very appreciative of that,” Bell said. “It’s always that recovery piece that takes the longest, and it’s nice to see the community rally together and make sure no one is forgotten or left behind.”

A Lee’s Landing resident told News13 off camera that despite living through flooding before, it remains a stressful situation.

Meanwhile, Bell discouraged people from going to hardest-hit areas without a reason.

“This is not something to go look at,” Bell said. It’s not a form of tourism. These are people’s lives. They are used to it, but we don’t need someone who is not getting themselves into a bad situation,” he said.

The U.S. Coast Guard-implemented no-wake zone remains in place for all waters of the Waccamaw from Enterprise Landing to Fantasy Harbour Fixed Bridge.

State and federal authorities have determined that wakes from vessels can create increased hazards associated with high waters. Vessels must proceed at speeds that do not create a wake.

“Any little bit of wake can certainly push water up higher into people’s yards, potentially into their homes, and we definitely don’t want that,” Bell said.

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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12 . See more of his work here .

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Hannah Huffstickler is a multimedia journalist at News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2024 after graduating from Coastal Carolina University in December of 2023. Keep up with Hannah on Facebook , X, formerly Twitter , and Instagram . You can also read more of her work here .

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