According to town manager Bruce Oakley, Carolina Beach was heavily impacted by the rainfall.“It’s likely the worst flooding we’ve ever seen in Carolina Beach,” he told CNN. “We’ve had to rescue individuals from both vehicles and buildings, including houses and businesses.”
Carolina Beach was declared a state of emergency after the National Weather Service in Wilmington recorded a historic 18 inches of rain in just 12 hours at one location, marking a once-in-1,000-year event. Other areas in the region received over a foot of rain within 12 hours, a once-in-200-year event.
Oakley noted that emergency services were busy responding to numerous rescue calls.
The storm, identified as Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight, was not organized enough to be classified as a tropical or subtropical storm. It is expected to subside by early Wednesday.
Due to the flooding, Carolina Beach Elementary School closed early. Law enforcement and fire crews assisted in transporting children home as routes were blocked by up to 3 feet of water.
Brunswick County also encountered heavy rain, with rates exceeding 4 to 5 inches per hour. In just three hours, Sunny Point received over 9 inches of rain. “Our deputies are assisting multiple individuals who are stranded in their cars and homes,” the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post. Southport city officials issued a shelter-in-place order and a nighttime curfew.
By Monday evening, conditions in Carolina Beach improved, and tropical storm warnings for the coastal Carolinas were lifted. However, many abandoned vehicles remained on the roads, according to town mayor Lynn Barbee.
North Carolina remained under a flood watch until Tuesday despite the system weakening. The National Weather Service warned that “excessive runoff could result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone areas.”
Forecasters predict that the system will continue to weaken over the next day or so, with the low expected to dissipate over the Carolinas by early Wednesday. They also noted that while less than an inch of additional rainfall is expected Monday night, there is only a 20% chance of rain on Tuesday.
‘There’s water inside the building…’
Michael McLaughlin, the owner of The Fat Pelican, shared his challenges with the flooding, as quoted by CNN: “There’s water inside the building. I’m trying to recover items that floated away.” Despite the damage, McLaughlin remained hopeful about getting the business back up and running.
Lisa and Gary Hollon, who have owned a home in Kure Beach for nearly 15 years, experienced flooding for the first time. “We were caught off guard and had never flooded before,” Lisa Hollon said, adding that their home’s first floor was suddenly covered with 4 to 6 inches of water.
In Supply, North Carolina, Timothy Turner used his surfboard to help neighbors navigate the floodwaters. Turner described rescuing a neighbor’s dog using his board. “I’ve performed 25 rescues from rip currents over the last eight years, but this was the first time I used a surfboard for a dog rescue,” he said, according to CNN.
Earlier in August, Tropical Storm Debby had already drenched the Carolinas with 6 to 12 inches of rain, resulting in flash floods near Charleston, South Carolina.