Richland Co. and City of Columbia officials address storm damage

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — South Carolina finds itself in a place it’s simply never been. “What we’ve been through, what we continue to go through, is unlike anything we’ve ever seen,” Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin says. City of Columbia and Richland County officials met Sunday evening to talk about what they’ve seen, praising emergency responders for their efforts. “They have done an impressive job under unprecedented circumstances, and we want to continue to support them,” City Manager Teresa Wilson says. The city and county law enforcement have joined forces to create a united front. “You have a seamless law enforcement working together,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott says. “There’s no jurisdiction lines at this point.” They need your help. Columbia Fire Department Chief Aubrey Jenkins says they’ve responded to far too many car rescues. The flooding in the Midlands has taken one life so far. “They talk about how dangerous this is, and they’re not talking about theory. This is reality.” Richland County Coroner Gary Watts says a young woman was recovered from a car that had been swept off Sunset Drive. “We know we’ve had one killed, but we don’t know if there’s other ones out there that haven’t been recovered yet, but this is serious,” he says. The rain drops might stop falling, but the effects of this storm will be felt for weeks to come.