Richland County Officials Use 4-Wheelers to Observe Damage

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Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — On Tuesday, Richland County Deputies used 4-wheelers to survey the damage near several South Beltline neighborhoods after it was hit hard by floods last week. Officials said during the flooding they evacuated and rescued several residents from the area and believe many of the homes will need to be condemned. Leonard Williams, a pastor at Agape Family Outreach Center, is one of those impacted by last week floods. On Tuesday, when deputies arrived, a group from North Dakota was at the church with Williams to help pump out water that still remained inside. “It totally flooded out all the way to the ceiling,” said Leonard Williams. William’s church was one of several areas in the South Beltline region that was severely hit by last weeks floods. In the area, piles of unsalvageable personal belongings remain and some houses appear to be slanted off their foundation. “Some of them are going to be salvageable, some of them aren‘t,” said Sheriff’s Deputy Joshua Duerkop. Williams said he is hopeful he will be able to rebuild. “I‘m just praying that God moves in miraculous ways and we can make this happen and get back on track again,” said Williams.