City of Darlington receives almost $125K for Idalia damage repairs
East Broad Street in Darlington. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The City of Darlington recently received a $124,764.02 FEMA grant for the damage Tropical Storm Idalia left behind during the 2023 hurricane season.
When Idalia made its way to Darlington in August 2023, it had been downgraded from a hurricane and categorized as a tropical storm; however, the rainfall accumulation initiated a chain of events that resulted in a sinkhole to develop on E. Broad St.
The scoured-out sinkhole was caused by a leaking storm drainpipe that sent dirt flowing into a sanitary sewer. As a result, the City of Darlington spent more than $500,000 to repair the issue. The FEMA funding will help the City of Darlington regain some of its expenses that were spent on repairs.
“The City is extremely thankful for the FEMA funding,” said City of Darlington Public and Community Affairs Director, Hunter Thomas. “Darlington accumulated between five to six inches of rainfall by the time the storm passed southeast of the city. Some of our underground pipes are old, dating back to the early 1900’s, and tropical storms like Idalia can absolutely wreak havoc on the infrastructure.”
E. Broad St. regularly experiences high traffic from residents and visitors of the City of Darlington. Following the wake of Idalia, it took three months for repairs to be made to the city street.
For more information on the City of Darlington, visit www. cityofdarlington.com or call
843-398-4000.