Almost 200 area National Guard troops still deployed in recovery from historic South Carolina flooding

Almost three weeks into the recovery from historic flooding in South Carolina, more than 190 National Guard soldiers from armories in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Lancaster and Chester continue to perform vital road repairs in construction efforts around the state.

Local soldiers make up almost a third of all the guardsmen still deployed statewide. Most of them left regular jobs for active duty service, although some are full-time guardsmen who work at armories but have been shifted to recovery duty.

The 178th Combat Engineer Battalion based in Rock Hill – with soldiers from armories in Fort Mill, Chester and Lancaster – has worked on road and dam jobs in Richland, Lexington, Bamberg, Georgetown, Clarendon, and Williamsburg counties, said Maj. Tom Meares, executive officer for the battalion.

At the zenith of activating part-time guardsmen to active duty 10 days ago, 310 area soldiers were deployed. Local guardsmen have completed 40 road repair projects around the state.

At least 19 people died in the flooding that washed out bridges, roads, and dams in the Midlands, Pee Dee and coastal regions.

Because 178th soldiers have expertise in road repair, the unit is working on seven road repair sites in Lexington, Bamberg and Richland counties.

The command staffs of the 178th and the 122nd Battalion from Edgefield have merged into a construction task force that is leading road repairs for the hardest-hit areas, Meares said. The unit’s soldiers already helped complete restoration of the Columbia Canal and Beaver Creek Dam, which were two of the state’s most important projects for restoring drinking water and safety.

More than 680 National Guard soldiers from around the state remain deployed, said Lt. Col. Cindi King, spokesperson for the guard.

This story was originally published October 23, 2015 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Almost 200 area National Guard troops still deployed in recovery from historic South Carolina flooding."