Flash flooding causes road closures, safety concerns in Cumberland County

Flash flooding has caused problems for some people in Cumberland County.

Rain from Monday morning’s thunderstorms had no place to go because the ground was saturated after Tropical Storm Debby.

Marlene Strickland, who has lived on Black Bridge Road for more than 20 years, told WRAL News that recent flooding brought water closer to her home than Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018.

“We came out here, me and my husband, and it didn’t reach the garage door, but in the backyard, it covered my garage patio, the pavement,” Strickland said. “[There was] no damage. No damage. Thank goodness.”

Strickland said she feared the water would come in her house.

Also, Strickland said it appears the flooding is getting worse.

The flash flood washed over a couple of roads outside of Hope Mills.

On Monday, people were driving around barricades and through flood water on Murchison Road.

Cumberland County Emergency Management Director Gene Booth said driving through flooded roads is dangerous. Booth said not to try to drive through or walk through the areas with water all the way across the road.

“These roads are maintained by [the North Carolina Department of Transportation], so they’ll be back out to verify that these roads are safe to pass, if there’s any damage [or] any washout once the water clears,” Booth said.

Booth said the flash floods come and go quickly.

“I’ve been living in Cumberland County for quite awhile, and I’ve never seen water standing in the ditch in front of our residence for more than a few hours or a very short while, and now, it’s been there for a couple days,” Booth said.