Carolina Beach drainage issues

Even if Hanna doesn’t turn into a hurricane, parts of Pleasure Island are likely to flood. This has become a fact of life for residents there.

The north end of Canal Drive in Carolina Beach is aptly named. In the event of a hurricane, or even a major thunderstorm, the street almost always floods.

Carolina Beach Town Manager, Tim Owens said, “It happens four times a year and when there’s a major hurricane event. There may be some engineering solutions but we haven’t gotten there yet.”

The Carolina Beach intersection of Florida Avenue and Canal Drive is notorious for flooding.

“I don’t keep valuables or family heirlooms on the ground in my garage cause I know better,” said lifelong Carolina Beach resident, Daniel Norris.

Daniel has lived on Florida Avenue his whole life. His house, which is on the edge of Moore’s Creek, is virtually flood proof. It sits on pilings more than ten feet off the ground, and has withstood storms like Fran and Floyd.

He said where floods are common, preparation is the key.

“We do live right on the ocean and we’re real low. And water will be a factor of life that they just need to be prepared for,” noted Norris.

Carolina Beach Town Manager, Tim Owens, said they have already started to prepare for Hanna. The town has generators and pumps ready to go, in case the water gets too high.