More than 2 inches flood downtown Columbia area
The rains came in heavy bursts interspersed with respites of light drizzle and brought pea-sized hail in at least one instance.
In total, 2.05 inches fell at Columbia's downtown Owens Field airport, about a quarter of the total 8.19 inches of rain the station has received this year, according to the National Weather Service.
It was enough to send water pouring over the banks of Rocky Branch Creek, which runs through Five Points and USC's campus. The creek's level peaked at 8.45 feet at about 8:45 p.m. on Whaley Street near The Lofts, well above its usual height, which is slightly below one foot, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Shortly after the peak, the creek still roared on and poured over Whaley and Main Streets. Flashing lights warned of the high waters and said the road was closed.
Most drivers heeded the warning and turned away, but at least one daring man in a pick-up truck forged onward; water covered his headlights and flowed onto the truck's hood. Another man in a sedan saw his car stall out. A City of Columbia worker eventually arrived at about 9:45 p.m. to barricade sections of the two streets, but by that time, the waters were receding.
Residents at The Lofts appeared to fare better. Part of the apartment complex's parking lot was flooded, but no cars were parked there, perhaps after many tenants found out the hard way of the risk of flash flooding in the area when the lot — and a number of cars — was inundated last September.
In that instance, water poured into buildings around USC as well, but USC police had no record of flooding on campus Saturday night, according to Capt. Eric Grabski.
Upstream, Five Points seemed to have fared the downpours well.
Most revelers hadn't seen floodwaters, though Joe Coughlin, a bouncer at Delaney's Music Pub and a third-year criminal justice student, said some water had leaked into the bar at around 7:30 p.m. A few doors down, a barista at Drip said the coffee shop hadn't flooded.
Elsewhere, lines for taxis snaked by the fountain, music blasted from bars and drinks flowed within them.
At the end of the night, it seemed to be just another Saturday in Five Points.