Hurricane Matthew brought town’s demise, needs a ‘miracle’

NICHOLS, S.C. (AP) — Nearly a month since floodwaters consumed this Mayberry-like hamlet in rural South Carolina, few have returned. The fear is that many never will.
Nichols wasn’t directly hit by Hurricane Matthew, but its location 50 miles inland from Myrtle Beach, between two converging rivers caused it to fill up like a bathtub after 18 inches of rain fell.
A stew of water, fuel, fertilizer and sewage settled in homes for over a week. As the water receded, toxic black mold grew