North Carolina underwater after fifth historic flood in two decades

Coastal regions of North Carolina were still underwater on Tuesday after another historic flood, marking the fifth time in 25 years that residents have faced this kind of weather.

Torrential rains poured into the southeastern part of the state earlier this week, leaving parts of Brunswick County submerged and prompting widespread road closures, including the heavily traveled U.S. Highway 17.

The storm, which unleashed more than 18 inches of rain in just 12 hours on Monday in Carolina Beach, came after the National Hurricane Center issued advisories about the storm on Sunday. The NHC warned of the storm’s “life-threatening” flash flooding impact in a social media post on Monday as meteorologists continued to track the storm, which had a high chance of forming into Tropical Storm Helene, the eighth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.

Although it reached tropical storm strength, the storm never attained the necessary structure to be classified as a tropical storm, Dan Brown, the branch chief of the NHC’s hurricane specialist unit, previously told Newsweek.

Still, the storm has continued to leave a devastating impact on the area.

According to Brunswick County emergency officials, emergency crews delivered food and water to those trapped as they waited for the water to rescind. No fatalities have been reported, though local authorities have confirmed significant damage to infrastructure, with many roads washed out or severely compromised.

The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Wilmington, North Carolina, also commented on the severity of the floodwaters on Monday.

“Roads are flooded at least 3 feet deep in parts of Carolina Beach,” NWS Wilmington posted on X, formerly Twitter, sharing a photo that showed floodwaters rising halfway up a van. “No cars or trucks are designed to safely travel in floodwater this deep. Please stay off the roads.”

Newsweek reached out to Brunswick County emergency officials via email for comment

Meteorologists at NWS Wilmington said Monday’s downpour qualifies as a “1,000-year flood,” a rare event.

This is not the first time this region has faced floods of this magnitude, with past floods from hurricanes Diana (1984), Floyd (1999) and Florence (2018) dumping historic amounts of rain on the same area.

According to Tim Armstrong, a meteorologist with NWS, the recurring disasters, amplified by climate change, are part of a troubling pattern for coastal communities.

He explained that the “warmer the air, the more moisture it can hold,” leading to intensified storms that can unleash massive downpours, even when they’re not powerful hurricanes.

The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs through November, has already been highly active. Due to near-record sea surface temperatures, NOAA predicts more storms on the horizon.

While the storm has now moved into southeast Virginia, concerns remain for residents of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Floodwaters closed the vulnerable North Carolina Highway 12 on Ocracoke Island, and erosion continues to threaten homes in Rodanthe, where sea levels have steadily risen over the past decade.

Armstrong, who previously spoke to Newsweek, said it’ll take time for the floodwaters in Carolina Beach to drain, but calm weather is forecast for the next few days, which will aid in clean-up.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.