Goose Creek sits flat and low, and the soil does not let water away quickly, so heavy rain tends to sit rather than drain.
Flat ground drains slowly
Without much natural fall, water from a big storm has nowhere obvious to go. It pools in yards, sits against foundations and finds its way into crawl spaces. That is less dramatic than coastal flooding but it does steady damage over the years.
Crawl spaces and garages
Very few homes here have basements, so this is mostly about keeping water out of crawl spaces — away from floor framing, ductwork and insulation — and out of garages that sit level with the drive. A musty smell you have been blaming on the air conditioning very often starts underneath the house.
Pumps fail during the storm
The usual reasons are a float switch stuck after months of sitting idle, a valve letting water run back into the pit, or no battery backup when the power goes out. Heavy rain and power cuts arrive together here, so a pump without a backup is off when you need it most.
Two minutes to test yours
Pour a bucket of water into the pit and check the pump starts, clears it and stops cleanly. If it hums without pumping or runs constantly, it needs attention now rather than in September.