Featured Image: SC Picture Project
In September of 2018, Hurricane Florence hit Conway, South Carolina, pummeling the town of 23,000 with rain. Yet it was after the storm had passed that the damage truly began. The Waccamaw River usually floods at 11 ft., and in the days after the storm, the city was nearly washed away when river levels reached a record 21.7 ft. Somehow, Conway stood strong. Both its people and its spirit shows resiliency last year, and it’s that strength that the city is looking to honor.
To commemorate the strength shown by its people, the City of Conway is planning a “Conway Strong” day on Oct. 5, 2019, to celebrate the community’s effort to restore the city over the past year. During the event, residents of Conway can enjoy food vendors, a kid zone and information on how to get involved with nonprofits in the area. There will be trees both planted and given out to the public to benefit the area in which they are planted. Though not specified yet, Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy stated that the trees selected will be chosen for their ability to hold water.
While Conway and its parks have not been completely restored since the storm, the city’s event will be a celebration of the progress which has been made in the nearly twelve months since Hurricane Florence hit. “Not everything will be 100 percent… but we think the public will be thrilled to see a return to access of our parks,” Mayor Blain-Bellamy said. “Let’s be a part of doing things that celebrate our survival.”
For more information on “Conway Strong” day and how you can take a tree home, Mayor Blain-Bellamy is urging residents to check social media in the near future and to stay up to date on the latest in Conway.