Fayetteville storm updates: River flooding in Cumberland County still a threat (2024)

Beth Hutson,Taylor Shook,F.T. Norton,Rachael Riley,Joseph PierreFayetteville Observer

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Fayetteville can expect rain into Friday as tropical depression Debby, which made landfall early Thursday along the South Carolina coast as a tropical storm, was downgraded late Thursday afternoon.

The remaining rain bands rotating around Debby will begin to diminish Thursday night and move east of Interstate 95, according to the National Weather Service.

In its final weather brief about the storm, the Raleigh NWS stated that scattered rain bands could still result in heavy downpours overnight, which could lead to another inch of rain.

“River flooding will continue to be an ongoing hazard through the weekend,” the briefing stated.

According to the briefing, Little River at Manchester into Spring Lake was at 23.87 feet as of 4:15 p.m. Thursday. The model shows the river peaking at 27.1 feet before 4 p.m. Friday. It's expected to decrease to 24.7 feet by Saturday.

As of 4 p.m. Thursday, the models showed the Cape Fear River at Fayetteville at 26.58 feet. The river is expected to crest at 53.6 feet before 4 p.m. Saturday. Earlier predictions forecast the river would crest at 60.60 feet which could have been catastrophic for nearby homes and roads.

The record for the Cape Fear River cresting is 68.9 feet, said Nick Petro, a Raleigh-based NWS meteorologist during a morning briefing on the NWS YouTube page.

Petro said the Cape Fear River reached between 62-63 feet during Hurricane Florence in 2018.

— Rachael Riley

5 p.m.: Debby downgraded to tropical depression

As of 5 p.m., Debby was downgraded to a tropical depression and was 45 miles east of Charlotte and 95 miles southwest of Raleigh, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm is expected to become a post-tropical cyclone Friday.

Though one storm is moving out of the area, more rain is expected into early next week, as another possible tropical storm is forecast for late next week, according to the National Weather Service.

Central North Carolina should see sunshine by Saturday, “but the eastern portion of the state is likely to see some shower and thunderstorm activity during the late day on Saturday,” said Nick Petro, a Raleigh-based NWS meteorologist during a late morning weather briefing on the NWS YouTube page Thursday.

Petro said more rain could move into the area Sunday and Monday, and scattered storms and showers are possible Tuesday.

With drier weather patterns expected Wednesday and Thursday next week, Petro said a weather model showed swirling activity near the Bahamas on Friday and heading toward the coast of South Carolina on Saturday.

The National Hurricane Center gave a 40% chance of cyclone formation in the tropical Atlantic near the Lesser and Greater Antilles area within the next seven days.

“So eyes are already looking out to the East to see what is up next … for the tropical season,” Petro said.

— Rachael Riley

4:05 p.m. Cumberland County residents living near rivers should prepare for potential evacuations

With the Little River near Spring Lake and Cape Fear River in Fayetteville expected to reach high flood levels, residents living near potential flood zones are encouraged to protect their valuables “and be prepared for the potential need to evacuate their residence,” a Cumberland County news release stated.

As of noon Thursday, 34 people were in emergency shelters because of the impacts of Tropical Storm Debby, the news release stated.

2:30 p.m. Where is the eye of Debby?

The center of Tropical Storm Debby was about 100 miles southwest of Raleigh as of 2 p.m., according to the National Hurricane Center.

According to the NHC, Debby was “moving toward the north-northwest" at about 10 mph.

“The storm is expected to accelerate toward the north across central North Carolina through tonight,” the Center’s latest advisory stated.

Maximum sustained winds are expected to be 40 mph, while “Debby is likely to become a tropical depression this afternoon or evening.”

A noon weather advisory from the National Weather Service in Raleigh states that Fayetteville could receive an additional 1.5 inches of rain.

According to the NWS, as of 11 a.m. Thursday, the Cape Fear River had reached 22.15 feet — the flood stage is 35 feet.

The NWS classified the Little River at Manchester Road in Spring Lake as having moderate flooding as of 11 a.m., at 23.11 feet, while the flood stage there is 18 feet and major flooding is considered 27 feet. The bridge was closed about 9 a.m.

The Cape Fear River in Fayetteville is forecast to crest at 60.6 feet by 2 p.m. Saturday, putting it in a major flooding stage, according to the National Water Prediction Service.The latest forecast is a 10-foot increase over Tuesday's prediction.

— Rachael Riley

12:30 p.m.: Cumberland County not out of the woods yet

While Cumberland County saw the bulk of the rain from Tropical Storm Debby by Thursday morning, the area is not in the clear yet, a National Weather Service Meteorologist said Thursday afternoon.

Cumberland County had a “lull” in rainfall shortly after noon Thursday, but the potential for continuing heavy rain still remains, Raleigh-based meteorologist Gail Hartfield said.

“Debby, as of our last advisory we issued, is 110 miles southwest of Raleigh and the center of it is still in South Carolina,” Hartfield said.

Hartfield said the heaviest rainfall is pushing toward northern and western North Carolina, but showers, with the potential for heavy downpours, are still possible for the remainder of Thursday into the evening.

The center of the storm is expected to lift northward into Virginia on Friday morning, she said.

“We’ll continue to see that threat of heavy rain through the night (Thursday),” Hartfield said. “Once the center lifts north, there still is a chance for isolated storms, so the eastern Sandhills and coastal plains is not out of the woods for heavy rain into tomorrow.”

As of noon, gage reports and radar around Fayetteville and Pope Army Airfield show most of Cumberland County has received about 5 inches of rain within the past 24 hours, Hartfield said.

She said there is a chance for another 2 inches of rain through Friday, while some areas could see more if there is heavier rain.

“Even if the heavy rain has passed, there is still a lot of water on the roads that can lead to hydroplaning and lots of ditches filled and tree limbs down across the area from gusty winds, so there is still a threat to travel,” Hartfield said. “We want to advise people to be careful the next couple of days, especially near rivers and creeks running high, don’t let kids play near water.”

Mitchell Shird, who has lived in Fayetteville for 16 years, was standing on a footbridge near Festival Park on Thursday morning to see for himself if Tropical Storm Debby was as bad as Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Beneath the bridge, Cross Creek had overrun its banks and was covering nearby Ray Avenue — as of 11:45 a.m. the creek was at 13.42 feet, nearly 3 feet above flood stage.

The Category 5 hurricane in 2016 had dumped three to four months' worth of rain in about 12 hours, killing 26 people in North Carolina and turning communities into islands.

Shird was optimistic with his forecast for Debby. He said the area near Cross Creek floods often from heavy rains, and he estimated he'd seen Ray Avenue covered more than a dozen times.

"This is a trickle compared to Matthew," he said.

— Rachael Riley, F.T. Norton and Joseph Pierre

More: FROM THE ARCHIVES: Cape Fear River floods downtown Fayetteville in 1945

10:40 a.m.: Road closures in Fayetteville and Hope Mills

City and town crews are monitoring roads, creeks and the Cape Fear River after rain associated with Tropical Storm Debby made its way to the area overnight Wednesday and Thursday morning, officials said.

“The Cape Fear River is on the rise, but not close to busting banks yet,” city of Fayetteville spokesman Loren Bymer said Wednesday. “We’re more worried about smaller creeks that have busted their banks, areas like Blount and Locks and neighborhoods that have one way in and one way out situations.”

Bymer said other areas of the city have flooded and crews have put out barriers.

Those include:

• Ray Avenue and Mason Street, which is impassable.

• West Rowan Street and Oakridge Avenue, which has a tree down.

• Morganton Road and Northview Drive, where the road washed away.

• Siple Avenue, between Galax Street and Pinewood Terrace, where the road washed away.

•Aftonshire Drive and Tangora Lane, which has high water

Bymer said Rayconda Road has also had a “washout.”

Cross Creek is nearing flood stages at 13.4 feet; Blounts Creek at Winslow Street is at 13.1 feet; Cumberland Road has some flooding; and Rockfish Creek on the outskirts of the city has moderate flooding at 16.3 feet.

“Festival Park also has flooding, but nothing crazy,” Bymer said. “We’ve lowered dam levels, put out barriers, and the city is still working today. We’re still trying to provide services as best as we can.”

Hope Mills Mayor Jessie Bellflowers was out and about Thursday by Hope Mills Lake watching water rise over the dam’s fingers.

“It’s performing as it’s supposed to when it was built,” Bellflowers said. “There’s been a lot of people out on the catwalk remarking how beautiful it is.”

Bellflowers said that while the lake area appeared OK as of Thursday morning, officials were monitoring a public safety situation on Beaver and Sommer streets, which are barricaded.

He said Rockfish Road in front of the elementary is another road that officials may have to close.

“Public works are active right now monitoring all bridges in Hope Mills,” Bellflowers said.

Bellflowers said residents can check townofhopemills.com for updates on road closures.

Cumberland County spokeswoman Diane Rice said residents can visit cumberlandcountync.gov to track North Carolina Department of Transportation road closures and receive other updates.

Teams continue to monitor "anywhere there are bodies of water — creeks, dams and rivers," Rice said.

"We were just on a call with the National Weather Service, which is anticipating more rain coming today coming in waves, so we'll continue to monitor flood conditions over the next few days, especially in low-lying areas near bodies of water," Rice said. "We're working on partnership with other municipalities and agencies to ensure our (residents) are safe."

A dam near the Rayconda neighborhood breached at about 10 a.m., and teams are assisting with evacuations as needed, she said.

Rice said two swift water rescue teams from Henderson County are on standby to assist if needed.

— Rachael Riley

10 a.m.: Manchester Road closed at Bragg Boulevard

Manchester Road at the Little River bridge was shut down about 9 a.m. as the waters of the Little River continue to rise from Tropical Storm Debby. The west side of Manchester Road, across Bragg Boulevard, was also blocked by orange barrels.

The center of Debby, currently over east central South Carolina, will move northward through the Piedmont of North Carolina through early Friday. A trailing surface front will hold over western and central North Carolina on Friday through Saturday, resulting in continued unsettled weather. The front will then slowly sweep east through the area Sunday into Monday, according to the latest update from the National Weather Service Raleigh.

As of 8 a.m., the storm was 90 miles north of Charleston, South Carolina.

"The most immediate threats remain heavy rain producing widespread flooding, and we`ve had several tornadic circulations, and at least two confirmed touchdowns, along a convective band that is now oriented from Edgecombe through Person county," the Weather Service update said.

The flood threat continues across all of central North Carolina. Isolated wind gusts to 35-50 mph remain possible within the heavier rain bands with background gusts 20-35 mph common. The isolated tornado threat also continues over the eastern half into north-central areas of central North Carolina.

Alex Wallace, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel, is in Fayetteville covering the storm.

Wallace said Thursday morning from the banks of the Cape Fear River downtown near Campbellton Landing that the river rose some 6 feet overnight to about 20 feet.

Flood stage is at 55 feet, and there is more rain to come, he said.

"It's going to take some time — not until Saturday," Wallace said. "We certainly anticipate getting up — at least the Cape Fear here in Fayetteville — to get up to at least into moderate flood stage; just under that major flood stage level."

— F.T. Norton and Joseph Pierre

9:20 a.m.: Flash flood warning extended

The National Weather Service in Raleigh has extended a flash flood warning for Cumberland County from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

According to the NWS, local law enforcement and emergency management officials have reported flooding of area roadways, as well as creeks and streams.

A warning is issued when a hazardous weather condition is occurring, imminent or likely. A warning means the weather conditions pose a threat to life or property. People in the path of the storm need to take protective action.

— Beth Hutson

8:40 a.m.: Little River rises in Spring Lake

The Little River in Spring Lake was at 21.86 feet as of 8 a.m. Deanna Rosario, Spring Lake stormwater administrator, said Manchester Road over the river will close if the river hits the bridge.

She said they expect it will rise another 7 to 8 feet, but not much higher.

She said she didn't think it would be necessary to close the road, but they're "hoping for the best, preparing for the worst."

— F.T. Norton

8:35 a.m.: PWC 'working diligently' to address power outages quickly

From 6 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday, 15 power outages mainly caused by downed trees affected 2,400 PWC customers, spokesperson Gavin MacRoberts said Thursday morning.

Of the 15 power outages, 12 have already been addressed by 36 crews working around the clock to restore power within an average of 80 minutes, MacRoberts said.

“Our crew have been working diligently, nonstop, overnight,” he said.

If winds surpass 35 miles per hour, power restoration times could lengthen, MacRoberts said. Safety regulations prevent the operation of bucket trucks, the utility vehicles with mechanical arms to lift workers into the air, in high winds.

— Taylor Shook

8:27 a.m.: Total storm rainfall now expected to be between 4 and 8 inches

The Fayetteville area is expected to see between 4 and 8 inches of rain from Tropical Storm Debby, a National Weather Service meteorologist told The Fayetteville Observer Thursday morning.

Wednesday night brought about 3 to 4 inches of rain, and another 1 to 2 inches are expected in intermittent heavy showers on Thursday.

With more rainfall on wet ground, flooding is still a “major concern,” the meteorologist said.

— Taylor Shook

8:22 a.m.: Fewer than 100 Fayetteville PWC customers without power

Fayetteville PWC’s outage map reported fewer than 100 customers without power Thursday morning.

At 4:24 a.m., 44 customers along Newark Avenue in the Seabrook neighborhood off Murchison Road lost power. PWC is assessing the cause of the outage.

At 4:28 a.m., 25 customers off Doc Bennett Road, just south of the Fayetteville Motor Speedway lost power. Power is estimated to be restored at9:30 a.m.

Smaller outages affecting less than 10 customers fewer customers were reported between midnight and 7 a.m. in the following areas: the Shaw Heights neighborhood; near Methodist University; and on Tryon Drive in the Englewood neighborhood. PWC is assessing the cause of the outage.

— Taylor Shook

6:45 a.m.: Cumberland County remains under tornado watch, flash flood warning

Cumberland County remains under a tornado watch until 1 p.m. Thursday and a flash flood warning until 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

As of 6:30 a.m., there were about 2,700 power outages in Cumberland County.

According to a news release from Cumberland County, there were 43 people and one pet signed into one of the county's five emergency shelters.

Trees have fallen throughout the county, and partial road closures caused by the flooding have been reported in the Hope Mills area, according to the release.

According to WRAL, Interstate 95 is closed at mile marker 44 near Hope Mills. Drivers were forced to leave the highway at Claude Lee Road and take it to Airport Road to return to I-95 Business South.

— Beth Hutson

CLOSINGS LIST: Here's a list of Fayetteville-area closings and delays because of Tropical Storm Debby

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