Today was incredible.

I rode on a helicopter for the first time with Richland County Councilman Torrey Rush, Councilwoman Julie-Ann Dixon and other County officials. Luckily, it wasn’t scary at all!

We flew over most of the County to assess the damage caused by the flood. Seeing everything on the news is one thing, but seeing it in real life was completely different.

Seeing familiar places destroyed was heartbreaking. I saw houses with debris, trash, carpet and other things all over the ground. I had to hold back the tears when I saw the Forest Acres area and Garners Ferry Road. I have friends who live there, and I went to high school in that area, so it was hard to see the ruins.

I’m so happy to know that people in the community are helping others. I’m also glad that I’ve been with Richland County to see all the hard work they’ve been doing for our community. It’s going to be a long road to recovery, but I know we’ll become stronger because of it.

Chardonnay Ismail is a public relations major at the University of South Carolina and a community relations intern with Richland County Council Services.