TROPICAL STORM DEBBY:  ELIZABETHTOWN UPDATE

As Tropical Storm Debby leaves our area, it is important to know that we are still not in the clear. The National Weather Service Wilmington is predicting up to 4” of rain today and warns that the threat of tornadoes is still possible through this afternoon. Flash flooding is also possible, please be aware of road conditions.

In all, Elizabethtown fared well compared to our neighboring communities. We had a few road closures and the report on downed trees is minimal.

 Both Duke Energy and Four County Electric are reporting no outages in Elizabethtown. There are reports of 459 homes in Bladen County without electricity.

The Cape Fear River is expected to crest at a minor flood stage. We still do not know the impact that TS Debby will have on the areas north of us and how that will affect the River over the next few days. For that reason, Tory Hole and Lock and Dam #2 will remain closed until the Core of Engineers approves re-opening the parks.

The three shelters in the County will remain open and staffed: West Bladen High School, East Arcadia Primary School, and Centerville Baptist Church. ***UPDATE: AS OF 5PM, THE ONLY SHELTER TO REMAIN OPEN IS CENTERVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH***

We ask for prayers for our neighbors in Bladenboro as they recover from flooding in their downtown area as well as those in Kelly, who are expected to see river flooding in the next few hours.

In all, we are grateful for the Bladen County Emergency Services staff, who coordinated the response to this weather event. We are also thankful to the Bladen County Sheriff’s Department, the Elizabethtown Fire Department, the Elizabethtown Police Department, and Elizabethtown Public Works for keeping our residents and businesses safe.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS AND LINKS:

National Weather Service, Wilmington

How to report NON EMERGENCY Road Hazards:
Residents are urged to contact Bladen County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to report downed trees, downed power lines and flooded roads.
910-862-7831 and 910-862-7810

Road closures: The Bladen County Sheriff’s Department is maintaining a list of road closures on their Facebook Page.

Bladen County Shelters:
CENTERVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH – 18577 NC 53 Hwy Kelly

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