Sumter, S.C. (October 4, 2015, 3 PM) As Mayor of Sumter, I am first and foremost concerned for the safety of our citizens. For your safety, Council and I have put a curfew in place for the entire City, starting at 7 PM tonight until 7 AM tomorrow. The curfew will continue until revoked by Council. Additionally, we are closing our administrative offices on Monday, October 5. All citizens should stay where they are. Should you have a life threatening emergency call 911 and wait for the proper authorities to respond.
I also want to thank each of our public safety officers public services employees, and administrative staff, for continuing to work tirelessly to keep our entire City safe. This includes all of Team Sumter, City, County and SCDOT, working together to save lives and keep us safe. Most of them were preparing for this unprecedented event days before the rain began.
Once the rains stop, we will continue to depend on these selfless public servants to guide us through recovery. We cannot know the extent of damage we are facing. This could be as great a challenge as we have faced since Hurricane Hugo. I know the people of Sumter, so I know we will pull together to rebuild our City and help our neighbors.
I know from the calls, texts and emails I have received that many are praying for those who are working to keep us safe and for our community. I thank everyone for those prayers. We still need them.
Questions are coming in regarding the status of Sumter's drinking water supply. The City is fortunate to receive our water from very deep wells, which sets us apart from most cities in the state and therefore contamination should not be a concern. Sumter's water supply is working properly and staying on. (SEE BOIL WATER ADVISORY UPDATE, OCT 4, 8:45 PM) However, if any resident is experiencing issues with their water, they should report it to our Public Services Department immediately at 803-436-2558.
For up-to-date announcements, please follow the City's facebook page or visit the City's news webpage.
Thanks,
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