Flooding expected to reach record highs
By Steve Herring
Published in News on October 10, 2016 10:05 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
An abandoned van sits in several inches of water at the intersection of John Street and Benton Street Sunday morning.
Major flooding is expected along the Neuse River after Hurricane Matthew dumped anywhere from 9 to 15.24 inches of rain on Wayne County.
The volume of water that swept across parts of the county has the potential to be record-setting once the totals are tallied, officials said today.
A flood warning remains in effect for the Neuse River that had reached 25.1 feet as of 5:15 a.m. today. The flood stage is 18 feet.
The river will continue rising to 28.8 feet -- the record high is 28.9 feet -- after midnight Tuesday morning. It should then begin to fall.
The Neuse is projected to fall back down to approximately 25.7 feet by 6 a.m. Saturday.
At 26 feet, the village of Seven Springs is flooded and at 31 feet, flooding reaches the base of the bridge at Arrington Bridge Road, according to the National Weather Service.
Monday morning, water was already rising along some areas of U.S. 117 South, Arrington bridge Road and John Street near Arrington bridge Road.
Goldsboro residents were asked Sunday to voluntarily evacuate their residences prior to sunset.
Firefighters and law enforcement officers went door to door in the affected areas, including Seven Springs, to alert residents to the voluntary evacuation.
U.S. 117 at Aycock Tractor Supply was blocked off this morning because of water across the highway.
U.S. 117 North and Interstate 795 were clear.
A Department of Transportation crew worked overnight to set up warning cones and in some cases barricades because, said Chris Overman, a DOT transportation technician who has been working in the county's emergency operations center.
Additional crews were to have been sent out at daylight to look for flooding and other dangerous such as sinkholes.
A number of the calls this morning were from motorists trying to find routes around flooded or damaged roads.
Motorists are reminded of the slogan "turn around, don't drown" when they encounter flooded roads. Do not drive into areas where water covers the roadway -- the water depth may be too great to allow the vehicle to cross safely.
Most flood deaths occur in motor vehicles.
Residents affected will be south and west of the following boundaries:
• South Slocumb Street to Olivia Lane
• Olivia Lane to John Street
• John Street to Elm Street
• Elm Street to George Street
• George Street to Ash Street
• Ash Street to Carolina Street
• Carolina Street to West Grantham Street