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Flooding a threat in the east, Easley warns
Hanna's rains may push creeks, rivers over banks
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Published: September 8, 2008
RALEIGH
Gov. Mike Easley urged caution yesterday as rains dumped by Tropical Storm Hanna pushed streams, creeks and rivers close to flood stage in Eastern North Carolina and threatened a water-treatment plant.
A statement from the governor's office said that major flooding was occurring in Raeford but had not affected homes or businesses. Officials said that there also was minor flooding in Smithfield, Clayton and Manchester near Pope Air Force Base.
The Neuse River at Smithfield was expected to crest about 5 feet above flood stage at 2 a.m. today. That will cause some local flooding on some streets and may affect a water-treatment plant.
"Everyone needs to know that currents are still strong and hazardous in many areas," Easley said. "Please continue to be careful when driving and stay off flooded roads."
Six people canoeing Saturday night on the Haw River in Chatham County were dumped into the river when the canoe overturned. Local authorities rescued four people, and the two others spent the night on an island in the river. They were rescued yesterday morning after the waters receded.
Easley said that there have been no reports of major injuries or fatalities related to the storm. Damage-assessment teams will begin taking inventory of the damage immediately. State emergency officials are also monitoring conditions in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico to determine if North Carolina will be affected from other storms.
The National Weather Service reported 5.19 inches of rain at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, 4.62 inches in Fayetteville and 5.74 inches in Laurinburg. Rocky Mount received 2.57 inches. Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro received 1.24 inches of rain from Hanna.
The governor's office said that at the height of Hanna's run through the state, there were nearly 60,000 homes without power. There were 49 shelters open in 24 counties that served about 1,900 people, according to the governor's office. By yesterday morning, power had been restored to all but 3,000 homes, but most of those outages were not storm related. All of the shelters are now closed.
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