Joaquin rising
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on October 1, 2015 1:46 PM
Rain has poured in Wayne County for seven days straight, and the National Weather Service is predicting at least another five days of storms, creating the threat of flooding in low-lying areas.
Meteorologist Gail Hartfield predicted that there will be 4 to 6 inches of rainfall through the next five days. She said 3 to 4 inches of that rainfall will happen from today through Sunday -- right in the middle of the 67th annual Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair's opening weekend.
"What we're seeing is that these rains aren't coming from Hurricane Joaquin," Ms. Hartfield said, addressing concerns about the Category 3 hurricane traveling up the East Coast. "Right now the circulation center of Joaquin is looking like it will stay off the coast of North Carolina, though that's an uncertain forecast due to the nature of Joaquin. What we're seeing that's causing the rain is strong moisture pumping in from the Atlantic Ocean and moisture surging in from the Gulf Coast, which is causing all this rain."
Wayne County is currently under a flood watch, which could escalate or change at any point during the next few days.
Ms. Hartfield recommended Wayne County residents closely watch the weather forecast to listen for warnings, advisories and any changes in the weather.
She also advised people to be safe, not sorry, when driving in the heavy rains for the next few days.
"We have a motto of 'turn around, don't drown,'" Ms. Hartfield said. "When you're driving and you see water on the road, you have no way of knowing exactly how deep that water is, even if it's on a road you know very well. Water flowing across a road is even more dangerous than standing water, and it's worth the inconvenience of turning around and taking a different route if you see high water levels on the road. It only takes about 6 to 12 inches of water to float a car."
Locally, emergency services officials are making preparations for the worst.
Chief Richard Proctor of the Grantham Volunteer Fire Department said preparations are under way whether or not Joaquin makes landfall here.
Proctor said the potential rainfall expected poses a threat to areas in the county that are historically prone to flooding.
"We always go through a preparation list as part of our normal routine any time a storm approaches," Proctor said. "We make sure each piece of equipment is working, our tanks our filled up and go over what our response mode will be," he said.
He said county officials and fire chiefs across Wayne are waiting and watching to see just what this storm is going to do.
"We're watching the weather and hoping for the best, but we're preparing for the worst,' he said.
Wayne is one of several counties in the state under a flash flood watch in effect from 8 p.m. tonight through 8 p.m. Sunday, another factor county fire chiefs and first responders are watching.
Thoroughfare Swamp and areas near the Neuse River are likely to flood first, Proctor said.
There are residences in those areas. Many are hard to get to and are off paths not visible from major roads, he said.
"But we know where they are and how to get to them," Proctor said.
Should the county determine there is a potential for more severe weather, Proctor said a conference call would be initiated by the county with all of the fire chiefs to discuss preparations and responses, depending on the situation.
"If there is a need, if the county determines that and if conditions do worsen, we will discuss a plan for the flooding, for downed trees or down power lines," he said.
Wind speeds and other hazards will determine more than anything which emergencies the fire departments and first-responders will be able to get to and which ones will have to wait. Thoroughfare and Arr-Mac routinely respond to water rescues with Grantham and vice versa, so cooperation across the county will be key, should the worst occur.
"That's always a concern for us is the flooding. We had flooding with (Hurricanes) Floyd and with Fran. But we have three boats and they are all ready to go," Proctor said.