BRANCHVILLE - A visibly emotional Mayor Tim Cooner recounted during a special town council meeting Monday night the 48 hours he'd experienced in the aftermath of the tornado that struck Branchville over the weekend.
Cooner told how law enforcement patrolled the streets with blue lights flashing throughout the night Saturday and described a powerless downtown Branchville as "eerie."
A major challenge was keeping pedestrians off Main Street, both for their own safety because of the amount of debris such as nails on the streets and sidewalks and to keep merchants' damaged buildings secure.
"If I could have collected $5 from every car that came through Branchville yesterday (Sunday), we could build Branchville back brand new," Cooner said.
The town is facing numerous challenges in the aftermath of the storm. The 117-year-old town hall building was demolished, but it was insured for $600,000, with another $175,000 in insurance for its contents. The town will operate out of its maintenance building, located behind the former town hall site, for the foreseeable future.
Another issue is federal and state disaster relief assistance.
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Orangeburg County Emergency Services Director John Smith reported to council on the damage estimates so far.
"We're now in the recovery phase," Smith said, noting that damage reports are still coming in and there are several categories where numbers need to be determined, including insured properties, uninsured and under-insured properties.
Smith gave a loss figure of $1.7 million for Branchville, but he cautioned that is an early estimate and reports from outlying areas of the town are still coming in.
Branchville itself sustained seven destroyed commercial and government buildings, including the Branch Junction area, where many of the Raylrode Daze Festivul activities take place each year.
Smith said there likely would be assistance from the Small Business Administration in the form of low-interest loans, but he said it is unlikely state aggregate losses will reach the amount needed to trigger a presidential disaster area designation necessary for federal assistance.
"It's a disaster to you. I understand the frustration," Smith said.
Cooner recounted his conversation with Gov. Mark Sanford, who visited Branchville earlier Monday, noting the governor was not encouraging about state aid. Cooner also stated he'd been in touch with Congressman James Clyburn's office as well.
"I plan to raise hell all the way to Washington," Cooner said of obtaining aid for the town.
Cooner spent several minutes expressing thanks for all the immediate aid that has come to Branchville. The city of Orangeburg and Orangeburg County responded almost immediately, he said, and law enforcement assistance was provided from SLED, the S.C. Highway Patrol and nearby communities such as the Bamberg County Sheriff's Office. Cooner also praised SCE&G, saying "they went above and beyond."
The mayor said assistance has been offered from as far away as The Citadel, with the school offering to send 100 cadets to assist with cleanup efforts.
Branchville's three police officers have been on call since Saturday night, and state constables have been providing police coverage during the night since Saturday and will do so for the foreseeable future, Cooner said.
He cautioned residents to be careful of those trying to take advantage of the disaster, noting he was quoted outrageous prices for cleanup Saturday evening and Sunday. He also asked council members and residents to call the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office or 911 if they encounter any problems.
Council members approved allowing town workers to enter onto private property for disaster cleanup efforts, with permission. Council also approved providing meals for the numerous workers expected to be in town over the next few days working on cleanup efforts.
The town hopes to be able to observe its scheduled Good Friday Holiday on March 21, but council members gave Cooner permission to work a skeleton crew if needed on that day.
In other business, council approved a resolution that asks the South Carolina General Assembly to continue to fund the Congregate Dining and Meals on Wheels programs relied upon by many senior citizens in Branchville.
T&D Correspondent Phyllis A. Overstreet can be reached by e-mail at paoverstreet@bellsouth.net. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.