As a torrential storm swept across Coastal Georgia on Aug. 25, 2025, Justyne Albright watched floodwaters engulf large portions of her 45-acre Rincon horse farm.
Albright and her husband were preparing for a horse show when water rose knee-high in their garage within minutes. Albright said it was like watching a dam break.
The floodwaters kept rising, spilling across Forest Haven Drive and into neighboring properties. The water was so strong that an engineer from construction company Balfour Beatty told her they could not resolve the issue until it stopped flowing.
"We went in and started pulling as much grain and hay as we could because we just got a delivery that morning, thousands of dollars worth all palleted back in our garages," said Albright.
"We thought, 'That's going to be the first thing that gets wet.' We didn't even think about the house right away."
One year after the storm, the Albright's say some portions of their farm are still not suitable for training or riding lessons.
"Our county is in a drought but all of our ponds are full," said Albright. "If you look where we used to have trails cut through our land, that's all underwater and it's now wetlands. It's so full, and again, we're in a drought."
To make matters worse, some of the horses developed issues with their skin and feet due to standing water.
"We have not recovered since we flooded, and we were already hurting before that. But now after that, it's even worse," said Albright. "When you have all of those extra issues that you're handling with the horses, that takes up a lot of time in the day, hours where I could fill that time with two or three clients, I'm just taking care of the horses, so that's not producing income. It's costing me money."
The Albrights have more than 20 horses and each costs anywhere between $250 to $500 for monthly care.
"My horses, that [riders] get to come and learn on have extensive resumes," said Albright. "They were shown at top level events. If you're putting in the time and the dedication here, I let you sit on my show horses that I compete on, so it really does further your education. A lot of trainers don't let clients sit on their active show horses."
What's next for the Albrights?
While the Albrights continue to take in a few horses for training and offer riding lessons, they no longer offer boarding services.
The uncertainty has also made it difficult to host events or plan for the future of the farm.
"I can't use my facility anymore for any type of community event because I don't have anywhere to park and we never know if we're going to be underwater," said Albright. "We're still the fishbowl for all of the water running off of Goshen. The front of our property is all of the water running off of Hodgeville."
She said it woud be cost prohibitive to purchase another property that was already outfitted for all her needs.
Her story resonates with many Effingham County residents who have dealt with flooding. While the causes may differ, many describe the same emotional and financial toll.
"That's why we keep talking about it," said Albright. "It's not just about us - it's affecting the whole community."
Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Rincon horse farm owners provide update after 2025 flooding | Exclusive
