By Judson Jones and Sara Ruberg
Meteorologists reported that a significant storm system, which did not quite classify as a tropical storm, released record-breaking amounts of rainfall across southeastern North Carolina on Monday. This led to inundated businesses and damaged roads in an area already affected by Tropical Storm Debby the previous month.
Although the storm produced tropical storm-force winds exceeding 39 mph, it did not officially reach the status of the eighth named storm for this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, Helene.
Despite lacking an official name, the dangers remained unchanged. The storm caused flash flooding and wind gusts surpassing 60 mph along the North Carolina coastline, as confirmed by forecasters from the National Hurricane Center on Monday afternoon.
Tropical Storm Debby brought over 1 foot of rain to specific areas of the Carolinas in August, and forecasters initially did not anticipate such heavy rainfall for Monday. However, by early afternoon, certain regions in North Carolina recorded nearly 15 inches of rain, surprising residents, officials, and meteorologists alike.
Carolina Beach experienced over 18 inches of rain from midnight Sunday through Monday afternoon. Wilmington forecasters described the chances of such a rainfall within 12 hours as a one-in-a-thousand-year occurrence.
The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for portions of Raleigh, North Carolina, Fayetteville, North Carolina, and nearby areas from Monday night into Tuesday. Northern Cumberland County saw approximately 4 to 5 inches of rain by late Monday.
Larry Ashley, a retiree from Southport, North Carolina, where some flooding and road destruction occurred Monday, commented that the rain was beyond anything he had previously experienced.
“It felt like having a bucket of water poured on you continuously,” he remarked.
Mayor Lynn Barbee of Carolina Beach, which is located just south of Wilmington, noted that many areas in his town were submerged by 2 to 3 feet of water on Monday. Emergency crews conducted numerous rescues in the region, and floodwaters impacted most businesses downtown, the mayor stated.
He further mentioned that Monday marked the third significant flooding incident in Carolina Beach in recent months that had not been anticipated. He sensed potential trouble when the winds began to intensify, resembling a hurricane’s fury.
“We kind of feel like we’re in a rainstorm alley,” Barbee commented.
The Wilmington fire department carried out several water rescues in Carolina Beach and Kure Beach, where the water levels reached waist-height, according to a post on its Facebook page. New Hanover County Fire Rescue reported on social media that they saved two individuals trapped in a vehicle.
New Hanover County schools dismissed all students early Monday and announced that classes on Tuesday would proceed remotely. Emergency vehicles transported some students from Carolina Beach Elementary when flooding began and parents could not reach them, Barbee shared.
Classes on Tuesday were canceled for schools in adjacent Brunswick County, which had already closed government offices on Monday due to a declared state of emergency.
WECT, a Wilmington television station, broadcast footage of vehicles and cargo vans stranded in floodwaters, alongside road closures in the vicinity. Several roads in Brunswick County partially or completely collapsed on Monday, as reported by posts from the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook.
Authorities in Southport, located about 30 miles south of Wilmington, barred all incoming traffic on Monday and instructed residents to stay indoors at their homes or workplaces, based on the city’s Facebook updates.
Chris Adams, a supervisor at Omni Electric in Wilmington, reported on Monday evening that two of his work crews had been stranded in flooded sections of Highway 17 in Brunswick County since 10:30 a.m. and were still unable to head home. He mentioned that portions of the roadway had washed away, while others remained submerged.
“I don’t believe anyone anticipated the severity of the situation,” he said.
Important details to remember:
— The storm system is projected to gradually advance inland from Monday night to Tuesday, distributing heavy rainfall throughout North Carolina. By Tuesday, the storm remnants will reach Virginia, potentially causing flooding rains across the area into Wednesday morning.
— More similar to a conventional storm system over the United States, the storm’s energy resulted from colliding air masses rather than the ascending warm, humid air from the ocean that fuels tropical cyclones.
— As the storm neared the coast, its winds diminished below tropical storm strength (39 mph or higher), leading the hurricane center to lift the tropical storm warnings that had been issued along the shoreline.
