North Carolina braces for more after 'historic' rainfall wreaks havoc across state
An intense storm system drenched parts of North Carolina in "historic rainfall," inundating highways and stranding drivers as flash-flood watches continued Tuesday in the southeastern part of the state.
The storm, which did not get organized enough to be given a name, dissipated Tuesday but still brought heavy rain to parts of southeastern Virginia, also triggering flash-flood watches.
The low pressure system dropped levels of rain seen once every 1,000 years on some areas of southeastern North Carolina. Carolina Beach, a coastal town around 10 miles south of Wilmington, saw more than 18 inches within 12 hours, according to the National Weather Service. Other nearby towns received more than 12 inches of rain in that period, flooding dozens of roads in the area. Wind gusts of up to 77 mph also battered the state's coastline, according to Weather.com.
Carolina Beach and the town of Oak Island, around 30 miles south of Wilmington, both declared an emergency in response to Monday's flooding, which forced road closures, damaged buildings and stranded some residents on the highway. The weather service warned on X that some roads in Carolina Beach were flooded at least 3 feet deep, showing a picture of a van inundated with water.
The town's fire department rescued 57 people and 12 animals on Monday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to Carolina Beach Mayor Lynn Barbee. Police rescued 12 people using a 5-ton truck in the same time span, he wrote on Facebook.
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Some roads could be closed in NC for 'foreseeable future'
Officials brought children home from Carolina Beach schools in a high water vehicle after buses couldn't get down flooded roads, the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.
Some roads in the southeastern part of the state will be closed "for the foreseeable future," according to the North Carolina Transportation Department. Drivers were urged to stay off the roads as crews make emergency repairs, including to multiple damaged bridges.
Some people were stranded on Highway 17 outside Wilmington for hours, while others took shelter at an Exxon gas station off the highway, the Wilmington Star News, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
In Brunswick County, which borders Wilmington to the west, deputies and public safety personnel worked to bring food, water and supplies to drivers trapped by flooded roads and highways, officials said in a news release.
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Public schools, offices, parks and libraries in the county will remain closed on Tuesday. An overnight curfew was set for residents and visitors in unincorporated areas to stay home until 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
Southport, a city of around 4,000 on the county's eastern coastline, reported around 23 inches of rain within 48 hours.
AccuWeather meteorologist Aaron Jayjack was reporting live in the area when a bridge collapsed behind him, plunging a vehicle and its driver into the water. The man was rescued by bystanders and sustained minor injuries, Jayjack said in a live broadcast.
Church offers aid to those impacted by floods
One Wilmington church was offering its help to those impacted by the floods. Lifepoint Church has deployed hundreds of people to its four locations in the area to distribute essential supplies and help people without insurance clean up destruction in and around their homes, according to Kevin Lloyd, an executive pastor.
"We have a couple people who are completely displaced," Lloyd said. "We're working with them individually to find housing."
It isn't Lifetime Church's first time helping with recovery efforts after a natural disaster – the church went into overdrive to help after Hurricane Florence hit the area in 2018, according to Lloyd. The church is also partnering with some local and national organizations, such as Convoy of Hope and is asking for online donations that all go toward recovery.
Lloyd said the floods hit beach areas hard and fast, while in other communities, "the damage from the flooding really didn't start until late yesterday evening, and mainly from erosion."
In some areas, water levels are still chest-deep, Lloyd said. "People are still getting around via boat or large trucks," he said.
Until the waters recede, it will be difficult to tell the extent of the damage. "People are trying to salvage as much as they can from their homes," he said.
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Florida beaches get flood warnings; northern Plains could see thunderstorms
The storm system also impacted parts of Florida. Flood warnings were in effect for the state's northeastern coastline until early Wednesday morning. Beaches in the area saw dangerous rip currents and rough surf of up to 6 feet, according to the Florida Times-Union, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Forecasters say the storm will continue its path northward across North Carolina into the Mid-Atlantic, triggering thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, until it is expected to dissipate on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a "strong low pressure" storm system will emerge in the West on Tuesday and move across the central Plains into the Rockies, bringing a risk of severe thunderstorms, gusty winds and showers, according to the weather service's Storm Prediction Center.
In the northern High Plains, where the thunderstorm risk is the greatest, the storm could drop isolated large hail. Northeastern Colorado, northwestern Kansas and western Nebraska could see wind gusts of more than 70 mph.