Cumberland County residents prepare for Tropical Storm Idalia

The residents of Cumberland County are preparing for Tropical storm Idalia Wednesday afternoon.

Meteorologists are predicting 3 to 5 inches of rain in the Sandhills, including Fayetteville. This amount of rain in a short period of time could lead to flash flooding.

The Cape Fear River is currently at a safe level. This is good news, as it means there is plenty of room for more water from creeks and streams to flow in before the river reaches flood stage.

During Hurricanes Matthew and Florence, the Cape Fear River rose to the base of the Person Street Bridge. This was a historic flood event, and it is a reminder of the potential for flooding in the area.

Wednesay night storm comes on the heels of a pretty good soaking over the weekend here in Cumberland County.

Gene Booth, the Management Director with Cumberland County Emergency says they were dry up until this weekend. 

“Some areas got very little rain in Cumberland County, some areas got two, three, four inches of rain on Sunday, at least two inches of rain on Sunday and those are going to be some of the areas to be more concerned with,” Booth said. “The ground saturation and trees falling.”

The County’s New Emergency management headquarters will be activated to track the storm. Two shelters have been designated to help residents who need to evacuate their homes. The shelters are located at the Kiwanis Rec Center at Honeycutt Park and the Seabrook Recreation Center on Slater Avenue. Both shelters will open at 7 p.m. tonight.

Cumberland County schools will be closed tomorrow due to the storm. Students will learn from their computers at home.