SOUTHEASTERN, N.C. — Most residents have been issued an evacuation notice of some sort to prepare for Hurricane Florence. For those stuck in the Cape Fear region, travel will become increasingly difficult, as roads will begin to flood, and likely stay flooded, as the storm arrives.
RELATED: Know where to go: Evacuations and shelters for Hurricane Florence
Each area may be prone to surge, river flooding, rain, or a combination of all three. For what your area is subject to, visit National Weather Service Wilmington’s forecast page, click on your area for a site-specific report.
Port City Daily will update this article with information on flooded roads as it becomes available. You can add in your specific locations and other flooding conditions to the interactive map here.
Here’s a list of low-lying roads that have been prone to flooding in past severe weather events and that may likely flood with the anticipated surge and rainfall from Hurricane Florence:
New Hanover
National Weather Service Wilmington is calling for a six-foot storm surge, with an additional two feet of rainfall over the duration of the storm. The combination will result in life-threatening flash flooding, the report states. River flooding could also contribute to overall flood conditions.
At eight feet above ground, portions of the below roads will be inaccessible:
- Canal Drive
- South College Road, from the Oleander intersection to Maple Avenue
- Multiple sections of HWY 117
- HWY 133 near Prince George Creek
- River Road
- Some sections of Carolina Beach Road
- Burnett Boulevard
- Greenville Loop Road
- Wrightsville Avenue
- Greenville Avenue
- Eastwood Road
- I-40 between Gordon Road and US-74
- North Kerr
- US HWY 421
Pender
The Northeast Cape Fear River near Burgaw is expected to flood 20 feet by Sunday evening, according to a hydrograph report issued by the National Weather Service Wilmington. The western side of I-40 in Pender County is more low-lying, and more prone to flooding.
At 20 feet, the roads below will be inaccessible, according to flood risk assessment models.
- East and westbound I-40 near exit 398 leading to Burgaw
- Stag Park Road
- Whitestocking Road
- Shaw HWY
- Nearly all of HWY 210
- HWY 133 near HWY 117
- Island Creek Road
- HWY 117
- Multiple sections of NC HWY 53 from HWY 421 toward Maple Hill.
- Old River Road
Brunswick
Amanda Hutcheson, spokesperson for Brunswick County, declined to provide flood-prone roads in the area because she said the county has asked its residents to evacuate.
“We are encouraging people to evacuate to shelters, and to go ahead and do it now, before road flooding becomes a concern,” she wrote in an email. Hutcheson said road conditions will be updated on the county’s website as information becomes available.
At eight feet above ground, the below roads will likely be inaccessible:
- HWY 133
- Mt. Misery Road
- Cedar Hill Road
- Old Mill Road
- Old Fayetteville Road
- Caswell Beach Road
- Multiple sections of HWY 17 in Leland and Belville
- HWY 87 and HWY 17 intersection
- River Road
- Daws Creek Road
- Southport-Supply Road
- Gilbert Road
- Old Shallotte Road
- Smith Avenue
- Gray Bridge Road
Real-time flood information will be available through North Carolina Department of Transportation’s TIMS website. An information help-line is available, if callers dial 511. Callers can speak directly with an NCDOT operator that will answer traffic-related questions.
Know of any roads we should add to this list? Let us know in the comments, or email us at info@portcitydaily.com.
Send tips and comments to Johanna Ferebee at johanna@localvoicemedia.com
