Some NC beach towns face flooding, road closures as unnamed storm dumps heavy rain
Much of the towns of Carolina Beach and Kure Beach were underwater Monday as a still-unnamed coastal storm dumped as much as 15 inches of rain in the southeastern corner of North Carolina over a 12-hour period.
Over 72 hours, Carolina and Kure had officially received more than a foot of rain, and the National Weather Service said some residents’ rain gauges showed more than 18 inches near 2 p.m.
Gov. Roy Cooper’s office confirmed that Ocean Boulevard in Carolina Beach had received at least 18.32 inches of rain since midnight, according to a 6 p.m. news release.
The southeastern region is under flash flood and tropical storm warnings through Tuesday morning. More rain is expected across North Carolina overnight into Tuesday with an estimated 3 to 5 inches falling in the southeastern part of the state.
Numerous roads are closed.
Because classes hadn’t been canceled in advance, parents sent their children to school Monday only to have the New Hanover County Schools announce early closings mid-morning. Parents complained that by then, flooded roads made it difficult to reach them.
Some students on the island were delivered home from school in a military-style transport truck. The students were all wearing life jackets.
In neighboring Brunswick County, police reported sections of several roads had collapsed.
The State Emergency Response Team is monitoring conditions along the coast and has moved the State Emergency Operations Center to “Enhanced Watch Activation,” according to Cooper’s office.
‘Wait until high tide’
Stunned island residents and visitors posted videos and photos Monday on social media showing cars, garages, patios and picket fences covered in tea-colored flood waters. Locals remarking on the pictures added, “Wait until high tide.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s coastal tidal charts show high tides Monday evening around 6:45 p.m.
The town of Southport, slightly further south, also had received more than a foot of rain in 72 hours by Monday afternoon, leaving roads there impassable.
Here are other rainfall totals as of 6 p.m., according to the governor’s office:
“1 mile south of Snows Cut Bridge: 14.83 inches
“Sunny Point Military Terminal: 14.59 inches
“Boiling Springs Lake: 14.16 inches
“? mile north of Snows Cut Bridge: 14.01 inches
“Saint James (Brunswick County): 13.34 inches
“Abbington Oaks in Southport: 12.74 inches
“Mallory Creek at Leland: 6.78 inches
“Wilmington Airport: 3.61 inches”
Drivers urged to avoid travel
A low-lying section of U.S. 17 near Supply was underwater, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation. Drivers were being urged to avoid travel.
The Southport-to-Fort Fisher ferry was closed Monday because of poor weather conditions.
