CAROLINA BEACH — Carolina Beach town officials have lifted the state of emergency that was put into effect ahead of Hurricane Matthew’s arrival last week.
The town prepared for more than 12 inches of rain, pumping down Carolina Beach Lake to minimize any potential flooding and issuing a voluntary evacuation for the north end of town and other low-lying areas.
However, the heaviest rain missed the town, as it missed much of Wilmington, and Town Manager Michael Cramer said there was “no major damage” reported from the storm.
“There were no sewer overflows, no stormwater breaks,” Cramer said, adding there was no major structural damage from the strong winds that hit the island. “For the most part we pretty much came away unscathed.”
Cramer said six trees fell in the 600 block of Spartanburg Avenue and blocked the road, but no homes are in that area and no residents were affected. Several parts of Pleasure Island, which includes Kure Beach, experienced power outages, but Cramer said that Duke Energy’s power outage map showed all electricity had been restored on the island as of Tuesday evening.
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“We’re back to normal, so to speak,” said Cramer, who said crews are still evaluating minor damage on private property and did not yet have a dollar amount for the damage accrued. “I think that our preparations by staff have really done a good job.”
According to Asstistant Town Manager Ed Parvin, the storm surge from Hurricane Matthew moved sand from the northern end of the beach, which underwent a nourishment project earlier this year, further south.
“If you look in front of the boardwalk right now, there’s a lot of beach,” Parvin said, commenting on the width of the beach strand. The town’s dunes, he added, withstood the storm.
Though the town was spared the worst of the storm’s wrath, Cramer said some minor flooding is still occurring due to the high level of water in the Cape Fear River. The river, which will continue to rise as floodwaters from further upstream begin to recede and move toward the Atlantic Ocean, pushes the water level up in Myrtle Grove Sound, causing the water to spill over onto adjacent streets.
“We do have a continual problem of flooding on Canal Drive. This is something we’ll have to keep a watch on daily,” Cramer said, adding that the town will block off the street if necessary due to high water. “So far it hasn’t been as significant as during the storm.”
RELATED PHOTOS: Hurricane Matthew leaves little damage in greater Wilmington area
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