Ambulance flips over due to dangerous road conditions, rain from Idalia

Fayetteville has been feeling the effects of Tropical Storm Idalia, with an ambulance flipping over Wednesday night due to heavy rain and dangerous road conditions.

Roads are slick and water is pooling in some areas, making driving difficult and dangerous. An ambulance flipped on Raeford Road, sending multiple people to the hospital with minor injuries. No patients were inside the ambulance at the time of the accident.

The fire department said the accident appears to be weather-related.

"Roads are going to be horrible," Louise Gandy Fayetteville visitor.

Gandy is visiting from out of town and was supposed to head back home on Thursday.

"Today every other hour there was something else closing," Gandy said.

Flash flooding is a concern for Fayetteville, with up to 6 inches of rain expected in some areas. The Department of Transportation has put up signs warning drivers of the bad road conditions.

Residents are urged to stay safe and avoid driving if possible. If you must drive, be sure to use caution and be aware of the road conditions.

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.

During Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018, the Cape Fear River rose to the base of the Person Street Bridge. They were historic flood events. They serve as a reminder of the potential for flooding in the area.

Gene Booth, the Management Director with Cumberland County Emergency, said the county was dry up until this weekend.

"Some areas got very little rain in Cumberland County, some areas got 2, 3, 4 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."

Cumberland 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. Wednesday.

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

Tropical Storm Idalia brings Wrightsville Beach residents heavy rain and flooding

As Tropical Storm Idalia gets closer to North Carolina, the Wrightsville Beach community experiences heavy rain and flooding.

Heavy rain bands began falling around 5 p.m., creating ponding on Ocean Isle Beach's main road, a nuisance for drivers.

However, the main concern was coastal inland flooding on the canal streets. The storm surge and a king tide paired with the tropical storm created a mess.

The storm was predicted to cause heavy rain, flooding, and beach erosion. As expected, storms in the area always draw out one very adventurous group of people, which are surfers.

"The waves have been great all day," said Locke Jones, a surfer from Wrightsville Beach. "But the rain kind of moved in on us. We're going to try to get back on it before the storm comes [Wednesday night]."

Patrick Jones, another surfer who lives in Raleigh, said he came home to help his parents prepare for the storm.

"They have a property on the water over on Hewlett's Creek," Jones said. "We're a little worried about that."

In anticipation of the storm, New Hanover Schools have called off all activities Wednesday and classes are canceled Thursday.