Red Cross Keeps Close Eye on Flooding as Residents Evacuate

Story by: Andrea Carlson, Cindy Huge and Kate Walters, American Red Cross

Two years ago, Shaindel Grant, a homeowner in the Rosewood Estates of Socastee, SC, watched the National Guard rescue her mother, Virgie, who is blind and uses a wheel chair, by canoe from the front porch. 

Tim Grant, 22, demonstrates the water level
in their home after Hurricane Matthew.

“It literally broke my heart to see that happen, and I don’t ever want to witness that again,” Shaindel said.

Her adult son, Tim, returned later by way of a paddle boat to collect the family pets. The contents of her home, the comforts that she had worked many years to accumulate, ended up in a pile in the front yard. Her life was literally diminished to a purple plastic box of photos. 

“It’s taken me 2 years to recoup from the last time and now we’re getting ready to do it all again” she says wearily.

This time around, she’ll be better prepared. She knows how it feels not be ready.

Shaindel and her son, Tim, stand on their porch
which will soon be under water.

“The biggest worry we have right now is water, water, water,” says Ed Cubanski, the Information Dissemination Lead with the American Red Cross. It is his job to identify the biggest issues still looming for the people in South Carolina.

“Over the next several days we are going to be closely monitoring the Pee Dee and the Waccamaw rivers, Ed said. "The water hasn’t crested there yet and levels could get quite a bit higher. We are going to get eyes from the air today to validate the models and data we are seeing and determine which communities are most at risk."

Flooding predictions became reality on Saturday, September 22, when various models indicated Florence’s wrath was far from over.

For residents like, Shaindel she has been monitoring on her own. Water has slowly been creeping up from the intracostal waterway down the street from her home. Not wanting to lose everything they have, she and her son began preparations five days ago. She has boarded their three beloved chihuahuas at The Horry County Animal Care Center where they were graciously taken in free of charge to flood victims. They removed all their furniture and household items except for the mattresses they sleep on.

The Grant family with a Red Cross 

volunteer in their empty home.

Another neighbor, Mike tries to control his feelings as his eyes well up with tears while he talks about the imminent flooding and the impact of previous storms and disasters. 

The arrival of a local church group touched him deeply. Twenty church members spontaneously showed up to offer help. They put up heavy duty black tarping on the outside of his home and placed 190 sandbags around the perimeter. 

“I am very thankful for their help”, said Mike. “I just can’t believe they worked so hard in the hot sun to help a fellow community member that they don’t even know. I appreciate the kindness they showed me.”


The stress of another flood continues to weigh heavily on this community, as well as with members of the Red Cross who continue to monitor and track the rising water. The delay of the rivers cresting has caused relief opportunities to slow down and wait, so they are prepped and ready when the water finally recedes.


The American Red Cross recommends that you refer to the following information to help you prepare for rising flood waters. https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/flood.html 

Mike’s home is tarped ahead of the rising waters.