State of emergency declared as 18 inches of rain in one night brings high floodwaters to North Carolina beach town

CAROLINA BEACH, N.C.- As Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight spins near the coast of North Carolina on Monday, one coastal town has declared a state of emergency because of the flooding caused by the storm.

Officials in Carolina Beach urged residents to stay home as the town deals with the more than 18 inches of rain that has fallen since midnight.

Videos from the town showed cars being towed from flooded streets and vehicles driving through high floodwaters. Carolina Beach officials urged people not to drive through flooded roads.

In a post to Facebook , Carolina Beach Mayor Lynn Barbee said the fire department has received calls for rescue from residents trapped in flooded homes or businesses. The mayor also said stormwater crews have been saved from rising floodwaters.

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“Folks, do not go out,” Barbee wrote in the post. “Dow is barely passable. Hennikers ditch is full. EOC is getting to folks as fast as they can. There are two dozen of the most talented professionals working hard for you.”

In an afternoon update, the mayor said people were sheltering at Carolina Beach Town Hall. High-water vehicles continued to rescue people trapped in flooding.

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New Hanover County Fire Rescue said Monday evening its rescue team was still out in full force. “So far, they have rescued over a dozen residents and even a few furry friends,” the fire rescue said in a Facebook post .

A report from the National Weather Service indicated that Carolina Beach Elementary School was flooded. However, FOX Weather Storm Specialist Mike Seidel, who was reporting from Carolina Beach said it doesn’t appear that the school flooded.

In a statement, New Hanover County Schools said all students from Carolina Beach Elementary were safely transported home. Some students were stuck at the school for several hours because their parents were unable to access the school due to flooding.

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Those students were taken home via high-water vehicles by the sheriff’s office, the statement said.

All other schools were dismissed two hours early due to flooding and weather conditions, according to the school district.

Carolina Beach Town Hall and the Recreation Center were also closed. A post from the town on Facebook said the buildings are set to reopen Tuesday.

The flooding in Carolina Beach brought an interesting discovery along with it. FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell caught some fish swimming through the flooded streets. “Wow! This is crazy!” she said in the video.

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