Workers spent yesterday clearing debris from roads after Sunday's heavy rain caused mudslides and flooding in several parts of Northwest North Carolina.
Three to five inches of rain fell Sunday night, leading to a mudslide early yesterday on Tobaccoville Road, about 1½ miles west of Tobaccoville.
A 14-foot high bank that included about 10 small trees and 200 tons of earth slid down and covered the westbound lane, said David Spainhour, a division maintenance engineer for the N.C. Department of Transportation. There were no injuries or damage to any homes or businesses. The road was still closed last night.
There were also several mudslides in the mountains and foothills. Debris slid across the road onto N.C. 194 north of Warrensville, and there were two other slides along N.C. 88. A slope also washed out next to the South Fork of the New River beside Todd Railroad Grade Road, taking down a section of asphalt about 8 feet wide and 20 or so yards long.
Several small mudslides also occurred beside U.S. 421 in Wilkes County.
At Salem Lake, water poured over the dam and into Salem Creek, flooding the greenway. Winston-Salem officials closed all of the greenways because of flooding.
Tanglewood Park was partially submerged in water from the Yadkin River. Horses that graze in a low-lying pasture had to be moved to higher ground, said Mark Serosky, the director of Forsyth County Parks and Recreation Department.
County officials closed Old U.S. 421 River Park yesterday afternoon.
"People were coming out to look at the river and with children getting close to the edge, we were getting concerned about safety," Serosky said.
In Yadkin County, a rescue team pulled two men from the Yadkin River yesterday after they jumped into water at the N.C. 67 bridge, authorities said. The men were taken to a hospital but were not thought to be seriously injured.
Park officials at Pilot Mountain State Park closed the northern and southern sections of the park because of high water. A corridor trail popular with horseback riders was also closed.
Downriver in Davidson County, Boone's Cave Park, which sits along the Yadkin River, was open. However, a few trails were closed, said Sheila Zuccaro, the park ranger. Zuccaro estimated that the river was up about seven feet.
"I've seen it higher, just a couple of weeks ago," she said.
Water crested the banks of Muddy Creek, the Yadkin and their tributaries in Clemmons, but no roads were closed, said Larry Kirby, the village's public-works director.
"Very few of our citizens called in about flooding at their homes," Kirby said.
In Surry County, authorities closed 20 roads when several creeks and streams overran their banks in Mount Airy, Level Cross, Elkin and Pilot Mountain, said Dennis Sleighter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Va. Those roads have since been reopened.
In Boone, Kraut Creek overran its banks and flooded the Boone Mall parking lot, Sleighter said. Two cars were stranded there.
In Yadkinville, South Van Buren Street was under 4 feet of water from the Swisher Creek, Sleighter said. The water had receded by yesterday, Yadkinville police said. There were no reports of damage.
Downtown Elkin was also flooded, as was Donnaha Park, said Scott Gallman, a maintenance engineer for the N.C. Department of Transportation.
In Stokes County, the DOT closed sections of Flat Shoals Road and Sizemore Road through Feb. 15 to repair a culvert that washed out beneath the road.
Forecasters with the National Weather Service are expecting clear skies in Winston-Salem through Thursday afternoon. There will be a chance of rain on Thursday night, which could change to snow or freezing rain on Friday.
jhinton@wsjournal.com
727-7299
lodonnell@wsjournal.com
727-7420
Journal reporter Monte Mitchell contributed to this story.
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