Columbus County officials warn residents to avoid driving due to flooded roads

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Continuous rain in Columbus County has caused major flooding in several areas.

Roads throughout the county have been flooded with water.

Authorities advise against driving through any standing water that may be visible, as County Emergency Services has posted on Facebook that more than a dozen water rescues have been conducted in areas of Whiteville, New Hope, Brunswick, and Wards.

Multiple rescue vehicles were also wrecked or trapped due to flooding.

In a Facebook post, Columbus County Sheriff Bill Rogers said it’s best not to take any risks right now.

“Please stay home, turn around, don’t drown,” Rogers said. “We done about 10 or 12 rescues tonight. We still rescuing people at this time. There’s cars left in the roadway cause they flood out, we can’t get them out so your commute in the morning, please be safe and please go home and stay off the road. And be careful in the morning cause the water is rising. it’s four feet deep at that bridge right yonder. So the water is coming fierce, please be careful, be safe and watch out in the morning.”

County Government offices will open on Monday at 1o am.

Whiteville City Schools announced they will operate a remote learning day for students and on a two-hour delay for staff.

Columbus Career and College Academy will operate on a two-hour delay as well.

Columbus County Schools already had Monday off for a teacher conference day.

Meanwhile, Chadbourn was one of the hardest hit areas in Columbus County.

Several roads and parking lots were flooded, while backyards were inundated with water.

According to Mayor Phillip Britt, equipment in the town measured as much as 9 inches of rain fell in the past 2 days, most of it on Sunday.

Britt said law enforcement is making sure residents don’t go near any of the flooded-out roads.

“We’re trying to get the roads to drain as best we can and block off the roads that we can to keep people safe<‘ Britt said. “Our law enforcement officers, the main road has been flooded so our law enforcement officers have been sitting at each end of the water with their blue lights on to try to alert people to slow them down.”

Britt said 1 or 2 water rescues had already been done in the town on Sunday.