Heavy rain causes school delays

They say when it rains it pours, and Wednesday, it poured. The heavy rain has already led to a number of delays for Thursday. More than four inches of rain came down in parts of Pender County with some viewers reporting more than seven inches in Hampstead. Some drivers were faced with up to a foot of standing water on a number of roads across the region. With the Veterans Day holiday, the miserable weather convinced many to stay home, which led to one Carolina Beach business owner to improvise with a rainy day sale. ”I just thought I would do something maybe to bring in customers. Typically they don't do much shopping on a rainy day in the wintertime. So I just thought I’d try a new gimmick,” said James Allen, owner of Linda’s Fashions. Unfortunately the sale didn't bring in too many visitors, but in a beach community the rain isn't always bad news. “It depends, rainy days in the summer are good because it drives people off of the beach and they go shopping. But rainy days in the off-season are typically not good, because people tend to stay home,” Allen said. Emergency officials across the region had several reports of hydroplaning vehicles, in addition to some minor flooding. Most of the rain can be blamed on what was once Hurricane Ida, which made landfall in Alabama early Tuesday morning. If Ida sticks around, there may be more good deals in Carolina Beach. Columbus County Columbus County schools: 2-hour delay Whiteville City Schools: 2-hour delay Columbus Christian Academy, Whiteville: 2-hour delay Pender County Pender County schools: 2-hour delay Little Town Learning Center: Opening at 9 a.m. Life Christian Academy, Hampstead: 2-hour delay Duplin County Duplin County Schools: 2-hour delay Onslow County Onslow County Schools: 2-hour delay Stay tuned to WWAY for the latest weather updates and school and business closings and delays.