WILMINGTON — It could be weeks, not days, before residents who evacuated ahead of Hurricane Florence can safely return. Although the storm has moved south and then west, and is now a tropical storm, flooding and infrastructure damage are still major issues.
Many of the bridges to barrier islands remain closed, and curfews are in effect in many towns. But the main issue, according to local officials, is flooding, which has shut down I-40 north of New Hanover County, along with many other low-lying roads.
Continuing rain, wind, and flood conditions may also slow Duke Energy efforts to restore power to the three-county area — much of which is still in the dark.
New Hanover County
New Hanover County spokeswoman Janine Powell strongly advised evacuated residents Saturday morning to “stay away and off the roads altogether.”
“We have sent damage assessment teams out this morning,” Powell said. “We just got word from the state highway patrol that I-40 is impassable.”
According to the NCDOT website, I-40 — the main corridor between Wilmington and Raleigh — is closed in both directions near Warsaw, between exit 364 and 369, due to flooding. The interstate is expected to reopen by Monday at 8:30 a.m.
According to Powell, the I-40 closure is due to “the record crest of the northeast Cape Fear.”
“We are not encouraging people to try to come home now. Duke Energy is estimating we’ll be out of power for two weeks. Conditions are still hazardous. They’re going to be coming home to no air conditioning, no power, and dangerous conditions — downed power lines, localized flooding here in New Hanover County, as well as downed trees,” Powell said.
Pender County
Pender County Emergency Manager Tom Collins said Saturday morning that the county was currently engaged in flood operations.
In terms of when residents can begin coming back to their homes, “(It) might be weeks,” Collins said. “We’re starting to flood now, so I can’t tell you when the water might recede. It’s going to be at least a week, in some places. Some residents won’t be able to get home, some will. But we’re already starting to have to go get people out of their homes (due to flooding).”
Brunswick County
The Brunswick County Sherriff’s Office posted a statement on its Facebook page Monday morning also urging residents to not return to their homes.
“We are advising folks to stay put. We are beginning to see a large amount of flooding and conditions are deteriorating due to the large amounts of rain,” according to the statement.
Mark Darrough can be reached at Mark@localvoicemedia.com
