Three of the four shelters in Columbus County will close today at 5 p.m.
Edgewood Elementary, the county’s only pet-friendly shelter, will remain open, according to county spokesperson Amanda Prince.
“If the need for additional shelters occurs, openings will be reevaluated,” the release said.
Prince said that officials strongly discourage any unnecessary traveling, since many roadside ditches are at capacity. A flash flood warning remains in effect for the entire county. The Lumber, Waccamaw and Cape Fear rivers are expected to rise, pushing water back up through their tributaries and causing additional flooding in lowlying areas.
“Do not drive through water on roads,” Prince said.
The Dept. of Transportation lists five major closures on Columbus County roadways. More than two dozen roads and intersections were blocked or partially blocked by rising water Tuesday night, according to the sheriff’s office.
Several streets in Whiteville, including Frazier, parts of Lee, and West Main near the bypass, are barricaded. Talbot Street between the bypass and Madison is closed due to high water.
The Soules Swamp Flood Information Management Network (FIMAN) station on Madison Street showed rising water levels at 1:40 p.m., with minor flooding occurring. The station registered 2.27 inches of rain in the 24-hour period between 1 p.m. Wednesday and 1 p.m. today (Thursday).
The National Weather Service said this morning that additional heavy rainfall today (Thursday) will further compound flooding in some areas.
Preliminary estimates from the NWS show that central Columbus County has received between seven and ten inches of rain, with the chance of two more inches by tomorrow. Areas near Tabor City have seen upwards of a foot of rain. Officials are urging residents to still take the storm seriously, and evacuate floodprone areas before the waters get any higher.
Bladenboro has been cut off due to floodwaters. A number of water rescues have taken place between Bladenboro and Clarkton, which has also seen some serious flooding blocking streets.
