Five Points sits at a low point in Columbia, ringed by hills on most sides. The district was built over what used to be swampy ground, and Rocky Branch, the creek that once ran through it, was diverted in 1915 as the neighborhood took shape. It still runs beneath parts of the district today.
That history is why Five Points floods the way it does. Water comes off the surrounding higher ground with nowhere to go, and heavy rain regularly puts water across streets and into ground floor spaces. The city has seven stormwater mitigation projects built or planned along the creek, and has proposed a much larger scheme routing runoff toward Maxcy Gregg Park.
For property owners here the practical risk is ground floor and below grade intrusion, and it turns up during ordinary heavy rain as readily as during a named storm. Older commercial buildings and converted student housing are the most exposed. Water that gets under flooring in a building sitting on low ground is slow to leave without mechanical drying.
Restoration professionals serving Five Points handle emergency water extraction, structural drying and dehumidification, mold prevention, and storm and flood damage cleanup. Call any time, day or night: (803) 555-0100