“I don’t believe in the weatherman religiously,” laughs eleven-year USC Professor Teri DreBruhl.
“I was outside that night at 12:30 looking around going ‘this is not bad, there’s no flood going to come,’” but later that evening, the historic rainfall of South Carolina started to pour down heavily.
Teri Debruhl serves as a Campus Celebrity this week for being one of many survivors of a historic, devastating tragedy here in Columbia.
On Sunday, October 3rd, South Carolina received the most rain the state has seen in 1,000 years, according to Governor Nikki Haley. The storm caused hundreds of road closings and buildings collapsing. Many cars, houses, and some lives were lost in this horrid tragedy that no one could have prepared for.
“I thought about moving my car up to the top of the hill so it wouldn’t get flooded because I live down a little embankment, and my friend’s husband said, ‘oh don’t worry about it, don’t move it,’” describes DeBruhl.
“I went to bed that night calm and peaceful and slept really hard, I’m a hard sleeper, I missed the alerts. Somebody was banging on my door at 7:15 in the morning and I went, and there were two girls from across the street and they were up to water up to their hips and they were telling me to get out, get out, get out.”
Not too long after, DeBruhl decided to move her car to the top of the hill before it would be submerged in water.
“I went running outside with bare feet to jump in my car in my pajamas,” recalls Ms. DeBruhl.
“The water was half way up the wheel well, and I said ‘if I go really fast I can get it out,’ and I went really fast and it stalled on me immediately.”
Professor DeBruhl was then stuck in her car. The water rose so fast she could not get her door open because of the pressure. While trying to release pressure, she rolled down the window thinking maybe she could slide out. Once she realized that she could not get through, she tried one last time to open the door.
“It came open just about eight inches or so, just enough for me to literally shimmy out,” recalls Debruhl.
She then had to swim back to her porch in the freezing cold, swirling water. By the time she was back in her house again, her car was completely submerged in water.
“I think I saved my life, I don’t know how many lives you get but that was one for sure,” she laughs.
After being helped out of her house with her three dogs by police and other aid, Teri Debruhl felt very fortunate to still be alive.
All of the damage went underneath her house up to four feet tall where she kept most of her storage. While sifting through her things with help from loving friends, DeBruhl encountered a group of USC boys that touched her heart.
“I will give a good shout out to the Sigma Nu president of the fraternity, him and his guys were out there,” smiles Debruhl “I was very, very glad to see them.”
Proving that efforts to volunteer and help a grieving community can impact lives.