Folly Floods from the Sky and River

Presorted Standard
U.S. Postage Paid
Postal Permit 03
Folly Beach SC
Volume 39:11 November, 2015
Publisher: Folly Beach Civic Club, est. 1938
Editor: Susan Breslin, [email protected] 588-3026
POSTAL PATRON
FOLLY BEACH 29439
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Folly Floods from the Sky and River
For fIve days, the water poured out of the sky – 21.5 inches
of it. Roads turned into creeks, and then into rivers. The
ground was saturated, and passing trucks sent waves of it
into low-lying houses. It was the hundred-year flood. Folly
did not escape it, and most of South Carolina was a catch
basin for the endless water.
And then, after a brief rest, the rivers rose up, pushed by
enormous tides drawn by the hovering full moon and
northeast winds. Yards turned into lakes, and old, low-lying
houses sucked in the water. It was the promised King Tides.
It seemed as if all of Folly responded. Neighbors waded
through water, pulled out furniture, and improvised pumps.
Residents with trucks and SUVs made food runs to friends
marooned with low cars.
The City had the biggest challenge. Public Safety issued a
mandatory call-back -- all hands on deck. Officers
barricaded the bridge and turned away those who didn’t
live here – no need for hot-rodders to make more waves
speeding down flooded streets.
Deputy Chief Steve Mims says the Department brought out
its emergency action plan, and put it to the test. Sandbags
were brought in the day before the flood. Stakes were put
out on the Causeway to mark the edge of the road in case
of flooding. A military surplus Humvee was used to get
through the most flooded streets. First one street, and
then another, and then another was blocked off because of
high water.
Chief Mims says Folly was lucky that there were no rescue
situations. The emergency plan worked well, except for the
communications plan – Public Safety took too long to
communicate with its citizens about road closings and other
situations. There was no one working who knew how to
operate the city’s call-back system. The Department relied
on social media, and help from citizens. “I’m very proud of
the public,” he said. “People were very understanding, and
pitched in and helped.” Dispatchers are now being trained
to use the call-back system.
Among those helping citizens, two new organizations were
formed. Mike Ezelle and his wife started the Folly Beach
Relief Squad, and mobilized people to help clear out
flooded houses. He was particularly concerned about the
health implications – the danger of mold, for instance.
They were soon directed to another new organization – the
Lowcountry Disaster Exchange, started by Elizabeth
Calhoun and Kathleen Kennedy, who work at the Crab
Shack, and who decided to tap into all that good will and
solicit clothes and furniture for those who had been flooded
out. As the donations flooded in, the City stepped in and
brokered free storage for two months from Folly Road Self
Storage.
The Public Works personnel were also slammed by the
flooding. Not only were pick-ups hard to make on flooded
streets, but the debris from nature and from flooded
houses was everywhere. At one point, the Causeway was
flooded, leaving one lane blocked with a tangle of mud and
marsh grass, which Public Works had to shovel away. When
it was clear that the saturated ground would not drain
some of the flooded streets, Public Works rented pumps,
hooked them up to a vector truck loaned by the James
Island PSD, and pumped the water into the ocean.
Eric Lutz, who supervises Public Works staff, takes his hat
off to them. “They did all the clean-up,” he says. “They
volunteered to work three or four weekends in a row.”
Lutz was also in charge of surveying and assessing the
damage, and reporting it to the County. Those reports will
help get Federal disaster aid.
(Floods continued on Page 3)
Folly Jazz Festival
The Jazz Festival will take over
both ends of Center Street – Folly
River Park, and Locklear’s on the
Pier – on November 6th, 7th, and
8th. Most events are free. For
details, go to
http://www.follyjazzfestival.com.
This limited edition poster was
created by Katie Brooks, who’s a
musician as well as an artist.
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A cluster of tall palmettos balances the left bed above a huge Sago
resting among juniper ground cover and small yuccas. Cheryl's large,
aromatic rosemary plant precedes laurel, pink oleanders, eleagnos
and deep red bougainvillea. A tall fence marks the right
boundary with Indian hawthorn and orange and yellow lantana
prospering beneath palmettos flexing in the ocean breeze.
Tender yellow, pink and crimson red Don Juan roses flourish in the
central bed. Fan palms and large Indian Hawthorne contrast with red
azaleas. Saint Francis, patron saint of animals, hosts water for guests
beneath a wisteria trellis. This statue belonged to Cheryl's mother,
who loved animals.
Gene's pleasure in planting flowers and eating his own produce is
evident. As he says, "any day on Folly above ground is a good day."
Congrats to the Fallaws for all they have produced in Folly soil.
The Garden Club will meet November 24th at noon in the Community
Center. Alan Raborn with Outdoor Lightning Perspectives will be
our speaker. All are welcome. Happy Thanksgiving,
Lynn Ray Smalley 588-0093 [email protected]
Folly Clubs and Organizations
Civic Club
As I write this, final Halloween Carnival preparations are under way,
led by the amazing Pat Poole with help from Teresa Marshall. In a
few days, the wonderful volunteers who make this event so special
will start working their magic. I’m grateful to each of them.
I’m grateful too for the wonderful talk about the Folly Jazz Festival
given at our last meeting by Patience Clements. The Jazz Festival,
which this year will be on the November 6th weekend, is growing in
importance to the city and the region. We also heard from Elizabeth
Calhoun, co-founder of the Lowcountry Disaster Exchange, about the
great work being done to help Folly residents with flood damage.
The Nominating Committee recommended these 2016 Civic Club
officers: President, Regina Anderson; Vice President, Deana Coggin;
Secretary, Toni Catoe; Treasurer, Teresa Marshall; At-large (2),
Marlene Estridge and Doyle (“Dee”) Word. (The immediate past
president, which will be me, and the Sandspur Editor, Susan Breslin,
are ex-officio Board members.) The membership will elect officers
at our meeting November 17th, and they will take office in January.
At that meeting, the Mayor will update us on flood damage and the
efforts to fund beach repair. A Green Committee delegation (Marty
Morganello, Teresa Marshall, Mike Ezelle and Regina Anderson)
will report on their progress in making Folly Beach greener.
On Sunday, November 29th at 5:30 pm, we will trim the Community
Center Christmas tree with the Civic Club’s treasure trove of
handmade shell ornaments, and then cross Center Street to sing
carols and cheer the lighting of the Folly Beach Christmas tree in
Folly River Park. Come join us! And happy holidays to all of you.
Gene Fallaw 588-6257 [email protected]
Exchange Club
Our October meeting featured the annual Folly Beach Public Safety
Department honors dinner. Chief Steve Mims gave “Policeman of
the Year” to Detective Rocky Burke and “Firefighter of the Year” to
Fire Marshal Vivian Buell. Congratulations to these dedicated public
servants for this well-deserved recognition.
Our next meeting will be Thursday, November 19th at 6 pm (note the
early time). We will provide a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to our
community’s widows and widowers. If you are widowed and did not
receive an invitation, you are invited to join us at 206 W. Indian for
some great food and fellowship! We will also gladly provide
transportation or free food delivery to anyone who may not be able to
make it on their own.
Thanks to all who came by to get hotdogs or hamburgers from the
Exchange booth at a very successful Follypalooza 2015! Your
patronage helps us continue to serve our community. If you are
interested in learning more about exchange, please contact us at this
phone number or email address:
Angus Smith, 813-7704, [email protected]
Home and Garden Club
701 West Ashley, November's Yard of the Month, has been Gene and
Cheryl Fallaw’s permanent residence since 2009, but they have lived
on Folly for 15 years and first purchased property here 35 years ago.
Cheryl grew up coming here on vacation, and later introduced Gene
to the wonders of Folly. They Follyized their home, painting it a
deep Caribbean blue, creating a restful background for their garden.
Large cut-off pilings establish beds on each side of the driveway, and
separate their yard from the right of way.
Tall palmettos guard the right bed above a substantial Sago palm. A
fuschia crepe myrtle colors this area and precedes their various fruit
trees. Gene demonstrated how all the fruit trees are grafted to a
sturdy rooting plant to ensure their bounty. Grapefruit, orange,
banana and lemon trees flourish here; 200 lemons were picked last
year, and banana bread was made from the harvest. A lovely curved
palmetto defines the back of this bed with a water oak nearby. Water
is gathered in a barrel under the air conditioner for naturally watering
their plants.
Senior Citizens
The Folly Beach Seniors will meet at 11 am Thursday, November 5th
in the Community Center. Patti Holsclaw will prepare our
Thanksgiving lunch of turkey and dressing. Please bring a covered
dish, including dessert. Marie Lowther will speak on her recent trip
to Greece and the project she worked on there.
Thanks to fire Chief Steve Mims for his very informative talk last
month. We are sending money to the Food Bank this month.
We look forward to seeing you November 5th. Happy Thanksgiving!
Pauline Ray 588-9580
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Thanksgiving arrives on the 26th, followed by our lighting
the Christmas decorations at the Folly River Park on Sunday
evening November 29th at 7 pm. Come and join in all the
fun bringing in the Christmas Season.
From the Desk of the Mayor
I want to thank the many citizens who have come to the
aid of fellow citizens during our recent flooding episodes.
There are too many to name individually and I am afraid I
would miss someone. Many residents helped move
furniture, cleared flooded apartments, and donated time,
food and other needed items. Thank you to everyone who
has helped make the days of a fellow citizen in need a little
better. We have experienced flooding events in the past,
but they are occurring more frequently with the extreme
high tides and astronomical events.
As always, contact me with any questions, and I will get you
an answer. Some questions take a little longer because I
want to make sure you get the correct information, but you
will get an honest answer. It may not be the answer you
want, but it will be correct!
Tim Goodwin 729-0298 [email protected]
(Floods continued from Page 1)
The worst damage was on the beach. Masses of sand,
fences, and plantings were swept away, leaving a rocky
beach. Fortunately, the city’s consultant Dr. Nicole Elko had
surveyed and documented what was there before the
flood. City Administrator Spencer Wetmore reports on
where we are now:
The beach has experienced a lot of erosion and lost sand.
We have documented these losses, and are working with
State and Federal officials to record them and begin to
secure money for repairs. With Governor Haley declaring
Charleston County a federal disaster area, we are working
with the Corps to get disaster funds for beach repairs. I
have also met with the State Legislative Delegation for
Charleston County, and will continue to work with them to
secure state aid in this effort to protect our beach.
“The City is working hard to try to repair the damage. We
conducted a post-storm survey, which indicated that we
lost nearly 400,000 cubic yards of sand from the federal
renourishment project. We have already submitted our
request for Rehabilitation Assistance to the Army Corps for
losses sustained within the federal renourishment project.
We are in the process of submitting another claim to FEMA
for public assistance with our local costs (sand fencing,
grass, rock picking, sand behind the PEL) and anything in
the federal project not covered by the Army Corps
Rehabilitation.
I want to congratulate Spencer Wetmore on being
appointed City Administrator by City Council. Spencer has
done a great job for the citizens of Folly as my Assistant
over the past year and a half, and I am certain she will
continue to make Folly Beach Citizens proud of her and
their city.
We have a great Staff at Folly and they work very hard to
make certain you are well represented in the day to day
operation of our city. Whether it is Storm Water, Public
Safety, or working with other locality, county, or state
representatives on issues that affect our daily lives, we are
well-represented by our current staff members.
“Mayor Goodwin met with all of our state officials at their
legislative delegation meeting, and we continue to follow
up with representatives on the federal level. The process of
rebuilding will not be immediate – it depends on federal
funding and federal agencies; we will be doing well to have
more sand on the beach within the next year. However, we
are fortunate that we had already begun the process of
locating and permitting a new sand source and we hope this
will expedite the process. We are also fortunate that we
may be eligible for post-storm recovery at 100% federal
cost.”
The City Council will advertise for a new Municipal Clerk to
replace Mary Cunningham, who retired last month. Mary
had worked for 15 years, first as Clerk typist, then Clerk of
Council, and finally Municipal Clerk. We all wish Mary the
very best in her future endeavors.
On to upcoming events and a time to begin sharing some
Holiday spirit. We will begin with the Folly Jazz Festival the
weekend of November 6th. Next, we all should remember
our veterans on Veterans Day November 11th. The City
salutes all of our veterans who makes it possible to
continue our freedoms, whether that is freedom of speech,
freedom of religion, or the many other freedoms we enjoy
every day. Next on our agenda is the Community
Thanksgiving service. This year the service will be held at
Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, beginning at 6
pm, with the pastors from all three Folly churches
participating.
From the large to the small: Community Garden managers
watched the rains turn their new space into a mudhole.
With the salt water intrusion of King Tides threatened,
landscaper Adam Berens designed a “water barrier” wall to
deflect creek water. It worked, and the new beds are now
being planted by their “owners.”
All that may be good practice for what lies ahead. DHEC
predicts more King Tides November 25-28th, and is looking
for your help, as part of an international effort. See
http://www.scdhec.gov/HomeAndEnvironment/Water/Coa
stalManagement/KingTidesHelp/
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Folly Fun Stuff!
The Folly Jazz Festival is November 6-8th. Most
events are free, and most are in the Folly River
Park or at Locklear’s on the Pier. For details, go to:
http://www.follyjazzfestival.com/
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The deadline to register your
two-person team for the
Second Annual Folly Beach Battle of the Bags Corn
Hole Tournament is November 6th; cost is $50.
Tournament takes place at the County Park
Sunday, November 8th 11 am-5 pm. Proceeds to
benefit Folly Angels.
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Publisher: Folly Beach Civic Club
PO BOX 884 – FOLLY BEACH, SC 29439
www.facebook.com/groups/143962895676219
Printer: Print Shop of West Ashley 571-4811
City web page: www.cityoffollybeach.com
City Radio Station: 1610 AM
LIBRARY HOURS OF OPERATION
MONDAY 10-6
WEDNESDAY 12-8
FRIDAY 10-6
2ND SATURDAY 10-2
TUESDAY and THURSDAY CLOSED
Other Saturdays & All Sundays: CLOSED
CLOSED Wednesday, November 11th
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Folly Beach Baptist Church, Folly Beach United Methodist
Church, and Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church –
will hold a Community Thanksgiving Service on Sunday,
November 22, 2015, at 6 pm, Our Lady of Good
Counsel Catholic Church. Fellowship to follow in the
Parish Hall. Please bring non-perishable food items to
donate to the Food Banks.
COUNTY PARKS PROGRAMS ON FOLLY
th
Nov. 6 , 9 am-noon - Master Naturalist Sampler at Lighthouse Inlet
Heritage Preserve. Learn the importance of undeveloped areas on
barrier islands and improve our ability to identify seabirds, shorebirds,
and songbirds, as well as the many plants and animals of dune systems,
salt marshes, and maritime forests.
Nov. 7th, 1 -2:30 pm - Monarch Migration at County Park. Did you know
that monarch butterflies are the subject of tag and release research?
Join a naturalist to search for and potentially tag monarchs, while
learning about their amazing annual migration.
Nov. 13th, 8:30 -10:30 am Folly Beach Bird Walks: Lighthouse Inlet
Heritage Preserve. This walk focuses on the southern shoreline of Folly
Beach. We hope to see a variety of shorebirds and seabirds such as
American Oystercatchers and Wilson's Plovers.
For more information: www.CharlestonCountyParks.com, 795-4386
FOLLY BEACH LIBRARY
We are sad to wish goodbye to Larla French. She was with the library for
three years, but due to an illness, she will no longer be able to work at
the library. Since Ms. Larla is gone, we will not have an official storytime
during November. We will have activities on the children's table for
anyone who would like to come in and make a fun craft.
On Wednesday, November 4th at 6 pm, join us for knit night. You can
bring a knit or crochet project to work on, and share your ideas with
others. The book club will be reading Charleston Jazz by Jack McCray. We
will be closed on Wednesday, November 11, so the book club will meet
off-site. On Saturday, November 14th at 11 am, come watch Duck
Tales and make a Thanksgiving craft.
Amy Adams, [email protected], 588-2001
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CALENDAR FOR NOVEMBER
Council Chambers
5th Planning Commission
13th Council meeting
19th Design Review Board
3rd
4th
5th
5th
12th
12th
17th
19th
24th
7pm
7pm
6pm
Clubs, Organizations & Committees
Art Guild
6:30pm
Save the Light
7pm
Senior Citizens
11am
Exchange Club Board
7pm
Folly Assoc. of Business
6pm
Surfrider Foundation
6:30pm
Civic Club
7pm
Exchange Club
7pm
Garden Club
noon
Library
4th Knit Night
6pm
10th Open Saturday
10am-2pm
Duck Tales at 11 am
11th Book Club (meeting off-site)
2:30pm
Charleston Jazz by Jack McCray
Recycling
9th, 26th
Volunteer Fire Fighters
3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th
6pm
County Parks on Folly
www.CharlestonCountyParks.com, 795-4386
6th Naturalist Sampler, CG Station 9am-noon
7th Monarch Migration County Park 2:30pm
13th Bird Walk, CG Station
8:30-10:30am
Special Events
11th Veterans Day
27th Thanksgiving
29th Tree Lighting, Folly River Park
7pm