Pender County experiencing widespread flash flooding

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Widespread flash flooding throughout Pender County on Thursday as Tropical Storm Debby makes its way north. 

On Malpass Corner Rd. Thursday morning, drivers were barely able to pass. On Scott Rd. in Rocky Point, one driver’s immobilized car had to be removed from the rushing water. 

WWAY spoke with Pender County Fire Marshal Amy Burton, who said the majority of flash flooding is happening in the western half of the county. 

“People are getting out of their houses, traveling to work, so we’re getting more and more calls. The ditches are obviously full. All of our bridges are holding for right now. On the west side of Pender County we’re having more calls than on the east side,” she said. 

Burton added that most of the flooded roadways are ones that long-time residents will be familiar with. 

“There are some roadways that folks that have been in Pender County for a while are familiar with, that they were already watching,” she said.. “So, that does bring a little bit of extra safety net, since people are familiar and waiting.” 

And at the Pender County Emergency Management Operations Center in Burgaw, officials from across the county on high alert. 

“Our emergency management director has been on the phone with National Weather service since the start of the week,” Burton explained. “He’s pretty much kept us updated. We’ve prepared, we’ve had resources in place to be ready.” 

Burton noted that drivers should stay off the roads if possible. 

“Slow down, if you know you need to be somewhere, give yourself a little more time to get there,” she said. “If you see standing water on the roadway, just please, it’s a cliche, it’s a catchy phrase, ‘turn around, don’t drown.’”

UPDATE: As of 5 p.m. Thursday, Tropical Storm Debby is now a tropical depression.