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Wilmington roads flood as rain comes quickly

Submitted by WWAY on Tue, 07/07/2009 - 9:08am.READ MORE: Wilmington roads flood as rain comes quickly
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Flooded apartments, streets flowing like rivers, cars stuck in the water. That is what it was like in much of central and northern New Hanover County Monday night. The flooding was dramatic in some areas as the water piled up in a hurry. New Centre Drive looked more like New Centre River Monday night. It was nearly impassable between College Road and Market Street, but that did not keep some drivers from making a go for it. "They see cars already stuck in it, why are you going to go out there in that? I don't know what they are thinking," said Timmy Moore. A crowd gathered at the gas station at the corner of College and New Centre, and had an up close view. Steve Gifford witnessed the flooding and said, "It was so bad, you couldn't even see. That water was just pouring." Abandoned cars were left in roadways and parking lots. Tow trucks tried to help where they could. Good Samaritans assisted a stranded driver after she drove her SUV into waist-deep water. Emergency crews stayed busy blocking off intersections and helping stranded motorists.

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I Like Pie!!!

Submitted by Moved Away (not verified) on Thu, 09/30/2010 - 1:13pm.

I Like Pie!!!

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This is what happens when

Submitted by Guestduh (not verified) on Wed, 07/08/2009 - 6:06am.
This is what happens when you convert wetlands to suburbia. New centre drive used to be wetlands. Hard to facilitate drainage in an area that is low to begin with. Wait until a hurricane and brunswick co gets 12+" of rain and a lot more people will find this out.
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tree huggers

Submitted by Guest (not verified) on Wed, 09/29/2010 - 5:30pm.

Tree huggers should refrain from further comments, unless you are one who does not use or benefit from this 'development within a wetland'. I'm assuming the previous commentor was an environmental scientist who would know wetlands from non-wetlands?! As if there isn't regulations in place preventing development anywhere near wetlands.

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what are my options?

Submitted by Need Help (not verified) on Tue, 07/07/2009 - 7:58pm.
My car and a friend's car were both flooded on Monday night. Both sat in my drive just off Market St. We do not have comprehensive insurance on either car. Neither car will start.
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Don't be so quick to make

Submitted by Adam (not verified) on Tue, 07/07/2009 - 5:20pm.
Don't be so quick to make assumptions of those drivers. A relative of mine got stuck in the flood waters on her way home from work. It's not as if she purposefully was ignorant or asked to be put into the situation; she was just trying to get home, to a safer location. Once you get close to flooding that bad, it's hard to get away fast enough, as the flood rises quickly with the heavy downpour. You shouldn't be blaming the drivers, blame the city for not having an adequate drainage system.
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Really? Don't blame the

Submitted by BE (not verified) on Tue, 09/28/2010 - 9:06am.

Really? Don't blame the drivers?! You are trying to make the claim that she was safer by getting in her car and trying to drive to "a safer place"?

Please!! America the land where no one has to be responsible for their actions. It's someone else's fault!

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drainage

Submitted by Guest who (not verified) on Thu, 07/09/2009 - 2:40pm.
The city has already repaired lots of areas with drainage issues & these repairs are often very expensive so they can't all be done at the same time. Some areas will keep flooding for a number of reasons - mostly due to overdevelopment. Also, lots of people don't realize that they need to take some responsibility for the drains near their homes. I can't tell you how many piles of yard waste I've seen right next to a storm drain and not even in a bag or container. Hello - we live just above sea level, people... I think considering all that the city is not doing such a bad job. Seagate used to flood, Market Street & Inland Greens used to flood, Plaza East, Northwoods, I could go on...
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flooding

Submitted by Das Weibstück on Tue, 07/07/2009 - 4:13pm.
New Centre has flooded since I moved here 24 years ago, so when are they going to fix the drainage problem? Guess when the people that make those decisions live there or get stuck in it.
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Turn around, Don't Drown. So

Submitted by Guest221 (not verified) on Tue, 07/07/2009 - 2:00pm.
Turn around, Don't Drown. So much for that saying. Stupid people are still going to try it. My new saying. TRY and Die. That might get more response.
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Waiting for the news to

Submitted by GuestSewerPipe (not verified) on Tue, 07/07/2009 - 12:47pm.
Waiting for the news to surface as to what damages were/are done to the city's sewer pipes/spills/ etc. due to this storm. A prelude to hurricane destruction written on the wall!
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This area flooding has been

Submitted by Sarah (not verified) on Tue, 07/07/2009 - 12:27pm.
This area flooding has been a problem for a long time and something really needs to be done about it...People if you know the street is flooded, don't be stupid and go down it. If you do and get stuck, that's what you get.
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Not a new problem

Submitted by Marvin (not verified) on Tue, 07/07/2009 - 10:39am.
I wish Mike McIntyre would swoop in with his cape and a fat check for this persistent problem!
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Having watched the 11:00 news...

Submitted by amazed (not verified) on Tue, 07/07/2009 - 10:03am.
it never ceases to amaze me at the stupidity of some people here in Wilmington. Seeing cars stalled in high water, there are some who think "they can make it" and drive into the water, then wonder why their vehicled stalled. Although I have been critical of the City/County regarding storm water drainage, I doubt a ditch the size of the Erie Canal could have handled the amount of rain we received in such a short period of time.
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Before Judging...

Submitted by sjs8906 (not verified) on Thu, 07/09/2009 - 2:09pm.
You must not realize how quickly the water was rising. I had a front row seat to the events on New Centre after my car stalled in the water. It was in a foot or less of water and did not make it through (I simply have a very low car), and I was just trying to find a way home out of the damn Old Navy/Ross etc. parking lot. There was no way out without driving through water. But my point is, I watched SEVERAL cars attempt to drive through water that was NOT extremely deep simply because THERE WAS NOWHERE ELSE TO GO. By the time the news crews came over, the water had risen SEVERAL feet deeper than what the drivers initially tried to go through. So stop judging, if you were trapped in that area the choice was either stay put and watch your car flood or try your hardest to get home to safety.
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Never Take New Centre when it rains EVER!

Submitted by Guest (not verified) on Wed, 09/29/2010 - 3:49pm.

There are so many other ways to get out of the Old Navy parking lot. As soon as you see New Centre flooded like it always has for the past 15 years I have lived here...you turn around and take college, or access Kerr Avenue from behind Sam's Club.

I never take New Centre even when it rains on any normal day.

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well

Submitted by Guest (not verified) on Mon, 09/27/2010 - 11:06pm.

i was on my way to a buddies house an saw new center blocked off... that didnt stop me :) saw a jeep truck through it so hell i know my s10 could.. an i was right ha :D little scary cause it was very deep but just took it slow.. (note) if you ever i mean ever have to drive through deep water for some reason always i mean always travel very very slow but do not stop.. trying to speed through it or rush is just gonna have water rush into your engine and intake and lock up your engine.. wish i still had my geo to take it through it.. had water up to the door handles in long leaf mall at one point while a dodge ram 2500 hydrolocked his engine haha..

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Might Be Ignorance, Not Stupidity

Submitted by Mr.Objective (not verified) on Tue, 07/07/2009 - 9:22pm.
Note the mass presence of out of towners this week. They simply may not know that New Center Drive floods. You seem quick to judge, get a life!
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