National Guard Builds Barrier at Georgetown Hospital

Residents of Georgetown, South Carolina, prepared for the worst while hoping for the best on Tuesday, September 25, as the hurricane-swollen waters of four rivers rolled downstream toward the city.

The Waccamaw and the Pee Dee Rivers were carrying the brunt of the water, and the local utility company said it was shutting off the gas in the low-lying historic district. At Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital, officials evacuated inpatients but said they were keeping emergency operations open. To help that happen, South Carolina National Guard troops began building barriers around the hospital.

Georgetown sits near at the confluence of the Waccamaw, Pee Dee, and Sampit Rivers, and the Black River joins the Pee Dee just above the town. The rivers flow into Winyah Bay, and the bay and surrounding marshes are heavily influenced by the tides. Credit: South Carolina National Guard via Storyful