Much of the towns of Carolina Beach and Kure Beach were underwater Monday as an unnamed coastal storm dumped as much as 15 inches of rain in the southeastern corner of North Carolina over a 12-hour period.
Over 72 hours, Carolina and Kure had officially received more than a foot of rain, and the National Weather Service said some residents’ rain gauges showed more than 18 inches near 2 p.m.
Gov. Roy Cooper’s office confirmed that Ocean Boulevard in Carolina Beach had received at least 18.32 inches of rain since midnight, according to a 6 p.m. news release.
The southeastern region is under flash flood warnings through Tuesday morning. Tropical storm warnings were dropped Monday evening as forecasters said the system appeared most likely to dissipate as it moved over land.
By Monday night, only a few scattered showers remained in the area and winds had quieted down from the 60 mph gusts recorded earlier in the day to around 22 mph.
Because classes hadn’t been canceled in advance, parents sent their children to school Monday only to have the New Hanover County Schools announce early closings mid-morning. Parents complained that by then, flooded roads made it difficult to reach them.