Helene Update 2:40 p.m. 9/27
Columbus County has a tornado watch until 6 p.m. and there have been unconfirmed reports of tornadoes on the ground in several areas. Warnings have been issued in Brunswick, Bladen and Columbus counties as Helene’s remnants push through. Hurricane Helene is now a tropical storm, but will bring stormy conditions here throughout the day.
If a tornado warning is issued for your area, get inside in a windowless room or the center of a building as soon as possible. A watch means conditions are favorable for severe weather, while a warning means the hazard is imminent.
Firefighters are working to clean multiple trees on roadways across the county. Several hundred people were without power in the Cerro Gordo, Lake Waccamaw, North Whiteville and Evergreen communities, and the spotty outages may continue into the evening hours. Multiple power outages have been reported. The bulk of the system is battering the western part of the state. Some localized flooding is anticipated.
College Street as well as several other routine troubleshoots in Whiteville saw significant flooding.
Initial forecasts called for one to three inches of rain across the area. The adjusted forecast by the National Weather Service said four inches could fall in parts of the county before the storm exits the region, but significant flooding like that seen during Tropical Cyclone Eight is not expected. Backyard gauges across the county had two to as much as five inches.
At Lake Waccamaw, a number of loose boats have been spotted drifting across the lake after breaking their moorings. Several docks and piers have also sustained serious damage.
Officials ask that residents do not call 911 for power outages, but only for true emergencies where a person’s life or property is endangered.
The county schools are on remote learning toay. Whiteville City Schools have an optional teacher workday, but will be back in class Monday as a makeup day. All after school activities have been cancelled today.
West Columbus High School will not have its makeup game with Sandhills tonight. Coaches with both teams are trying to reschedule the game for a later date. West Columbus will holds its steak fundraiser Tuesday due to today’s storms.
East Columbus will face East Bladen at the Swamp at Lake Waccamaw on Monday at 7 p.m.
Today’s events at the Maze Craze at Galloway Farms have been cancelled.
The sheriff’s office National Night Out event has also been cancelled and will not be rescheduled this year.
