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The coastal low known as Tropical System Eight is bringing heavy rainfall to Columbus County, and could bring wind gusts to 60 miles per hour before day’s end.
Tornado warnings were issued for Bolton, Sandyfield, Riegelwood, Freeman and Delco at 12:30 p.m. Radar indicated rotation in a thunderstorm over Leland with the storm heading northwest.
The National Weather Service Wilmington office said the storm has already brought more than a foot of rain to some parts of the region since last night. Three feet of floodwaters have blocked roads in New Hanover and Brunswick counties, before a lunar high tide expected tonight.
Multiple roads are blocked by running water more than a foot deep in Brunswick, and tornado warnings have also been issued for Brunswick, Pender and Duplin counties.
Debris has been reported on some roadways in Columbus, including a large tree across Red Hill Road on the White Marsh.
County offices in Columbus will close at 3 p.m. Tonight’s commissioners meeting will be rescheduled as well.
Southeastern Community College will close at 3 p.m. today, and all night classes are cancelled.
City and county schools are on remote learning today. All after school activities have been cancelled.
Columbus Parks and Recreation has cancelled all activities this evening.
Steve Pfaff of the NWS Wilmington office said the system that almost became Tropical Storm Helene is unusual in some aspects. The main low pressure system became elongated, he said, losing its central core that would have become an eye. The storm then split, creating another low pressure system that is bringing heavy rains across the region.
“Not much at all has been reported father south across some of our area,” he said, “but there’s 12 inches plus in parts of the Cape Fear region.”
Hal Lowder of the City of Whiteville said officials are monitoring the system, especially in terms of excessive rainfall and possible flooding.
“The swamps are pretty good,” he said. “They have room to take some runoff. We’ve been keeping an eye on this since Thursday, and the city is prepared to respond.”
