Massive flooding are rocking the Tar Heel state in what officials are a once in 1,000 year flood.
An unnamed tropic storm-like system has dumped historic amounts of rain on the region in a matter of hours on Monday. "Its probably the worst flooding that any of us have seen in Carolina Beach," Town Manager Bruce Oakley told CNN. "We've had to rescue people from cars, also some from houses and businesses." The town of Carolina Beach was place under a state of emergency on Monday after 18 inches of rain fell within 12 hours according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, North Carolina. In other areas in the region a foot of rain fell with 12 hours.
Carolina Beach Elementary School cancelled classes on Monday after students were dismissed early after classrooms began to flood according to Oakley. Police and fire crews helped take some children home as many routes to the school were impassable to the flooding with some roads under 3 feet of water.
Many businesses were caught off guard by the flooding and many did not have time to prepare to leave their properties unattended amid the record rainfall.
"There's water inside the building. I'm truing to get the stuff that was outside that floated away," Michael McLaughlin owner of The Fat Pelican told CNN affiliate WWAY. He added that he was optimistic that he would be able to wash the restaurant out with a garden hose after the storm has passed and they'd be "ready to go again."
Lisa and Gary Hollon who own a home about 3 miles south of Carolina Beach in the town of Kure Beach and said in nearly 15 years they've never experienced any flooding until Monday.
Their home experienced 4 to 6 inches of flooding early Monday morning after the winds and rain picked up Lisa Hollon told CNN
"We were not prepared and have never flooded before," she said. "Many cars were unexpectedly flooded in driveways and along roads"
Neighboring Brunswick County also experienced significant rainfall, exceeding 4 to 5 inches per hour for a period of time on Monday. The town of Sunny Worth experienced a months worth of rain, 9 inches, in just three hours.
"Our deputies are assisting multiple people who are stranded in their vehicles and some home at this time," the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook.
The city of Southport said on Facebook Monday afternoon that a shelter-in-place order was in effect and added there was a curfew between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.
While the region is being slammed by the influx of rainfall and flooding that hasn't stopped members of the communities from assisting their neighbors in their time of need. One man in Brunswick County in the community of Supply offered to help his neighbor whose dog was stuck at the home on the other side of the road. He said he used to his surfboard to navigate the flood waters and rescue the dog from the home.
"I crossed it with my surfboard, sank down into the mud, went to her house, got the dog and brought it back across," said Timothy Turner who runs a surfing school in the area and often assists with ocean rescues since the area does not have lifeguards.
"I've gotten 25 rescues out of the rip currents in the last eight years but that was the first time I ever got a dog up with a surfboard," Turner said.
Floodwaters did start to recede in Carolina beach early Monday afternoon but abandoned cars still litter the roadway after drivers fled to escape the rising waters according to town mayor Lynn Barbee. The storm has shifted to the west and is beginning to weaken as of Monday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center
"Continued weakening is expected during the next day or so, and the low is forecast to dissipate over the Carolinas by early Wednesday," forecasters said.
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