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Torrential rains and the Neuse flooded roads in the New Bern area and in Craven County on Thursday, with conditions worsening in the night as Hurricane Florence flies over the North Carolina coast.
"We expect conditions to continue to deteriorate," Amber Parker, the county's director of human resources, said Thursday afternoon.
Before midnight, they had. A map sent by the city of New Bern shows how widespread the floods have become. The Ferry Division of the North Carolina Department of Transportation reported a 10-foot-high storm surge above the normal water level at the Cherry Branch ferry terminal in Havelock, Craven County.
"Interactive map showing the high waters of New Bern up to now. Unfortunately, it will get worse the city's account tweeted around 9 pm
County rescue teams reported saving several residents from floodwater early in the morning.
Craven County spokeswoman Amber Parker said the water on the premises had overcome the mailboxes and that in the lower areas the first and second floors of the houses were filled.
"The most important thing we need now is for people to be able to take shelter on the spot and stay out of the roads, to monitor dangerous conditions, including fallen power lines and floods," said Mr. Parker. "If the water gets into the homes, we need them to call our Emergency Management Line at 252-636-6608."
New Bern is at the intersection of the rivers Neuse and Trent. The map also indicated that the Trent River had overflowed. The Neuse flows into the Strait of Pamlico, separated from the Atlantic by the outer banks.
The city said more than 15,000 customers were without electricity Thursday night. WCTI, an ABC subsidiary of New Bern, had to evacuate its building on Thursday evening, a development he noted by giving updates on the weather.
The county issued a mandatory evacuation on Tuesday, Parker said. On Thursday night, officials advised people who decided to stay in Craven County to go to the shelter.
Residents from up and down the coast and rivers were told to look for higher ground as the rains and rivers rose.
The triple threat of rain, storm surges and floods caused the forced evacuation of all residents and visitors to Pender County on Wednesday, after the National Weather Service forecast rainfall of up to 40 inches. Storm 9 feet to 13 feet and the Cape Fear River.
"We had to get people out of the coast and into the Intracoastal waterway," said Tammy Proctor, spokesperson for Pender County. "We felt that it was the best way to act."
The National Weather Service is forecasting record floods in the Fear River in Pender and Duplin counties early next week, with water reaching about 24 feet or 11 feet above flood level.
Flooding of the river may mean that threats from high water persist after storms pass.
Wayne County still has roads to repair after the destruction of Hurricane Matthew two years ago, said county spokeswoman Carol Bowden. The floods caused by Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Floyd in 1999 essentially cut the county by half, blocking movement between north and south, she added.
The county is setting up two transit zones, in the north and south, for an emergency response, Bowden said. The National Weather Service is planning a moderate flood of the Neuse River near Goldsboro starting Sunday. The river should reach 22 feet or about four feet above flood level.
"We have not prepared this aspect," said Bowden.
Counties say they have whitewater rescue staff ready.
Even without mandatory evacuations, counties encourage people living in low-lying areas to seek shelter. In Raleigh, The N & O reported Wednesday that the city had sent notices to 26,000 people encouraging those who had been flooded or had their homes cut off by flooded roads before staying with their friends and family.
And most of the people currently in the Chapel Hill shelter are residents of the Camelot Village condominium, a frequently flooded area, said county spokesman Todd McGee.
With high water comes the threat of failures of dams. At least 17 state dams erupted during or after Hurricane Matthew, The News & Observer reported. Thirteen of the 17 were in the Cape Fear Basin. Forty dams failed during Hurricane Floyd.
In a statement, the state's Department of Environmental Quality said it was monitoring the dams it considered the most vulnerable – those facing a warning or safety notice. dams or undergoing repairs or work.
More than 3,440 dams in North Carolina are registered with the US Army Corps of Engineers. More than 2,770 are private properties.
A News & Observer analysis found 24 "high-risk" dams operating in 18 counties on or near the coast. The federal risk rating of a dam is a measure of its potential for risk or what would happen if the dam were down.
High-risk dams that fail will likely result in loss of life.
State records show that all high-risk dams in the 18 counties are either unsatisfactory or in poor condition.
Bonner: 919-829-4821; @Lynn_Bonner
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