Officials: ‘Be aware of potential major flooding in Lenoir County’

Lenoir County government officials are advising residents to remain vigilant as the Neuse River continues to rise following recent heavy rainfall that has occurred in the past few days.

Official projections are the river is going to hit 21.9 feet — considered “major flood stage” — Wednesday evening, Nov. 18. Additional rises above that projection are possible. As of Friday morning, the river was at 12.5 feet; it had risen to 13.7 feet Friday evening.

“Residents should be aware of potential major flooding in Lenoir County next week,” Lenoir County Emergency Services Director Jerri King said. “With models predicting the river continuing to rise, county residents should be knowledgeable and prepared about the situation.”

Flooding is predicted in low-lying areas that border the Neuse River in Lenoir County, including — but not limited to — the Old Asphalt Road area and the Neuse Nature Center.

Lenoir County Sheriff Ronnie Ingram reminded residents to never attempt to drive through standing water.

“At no time should residents think they can drive across roadways that are covered in floodwaters,” Ingram said. “Drivers have no idea how deep the water could be that covers a roadway. Residents need to remember to ‘turn around, don’t drown.’”

The sheriff also reminded residents to not drive around barricades that have been set up to block roadways that have been flooded.

“You are breaking the law when you move or drive around a barricade,” Ingram said.

As the river continues to rise over the next few days, King and Ingram advised residents to visit their respective departments’ Facebook pages for more information. They also said residents can visit fiman.nc.gov, find the Kinston button on the map and then see the different flood levels depending on how high the river is at that time.

Additionally, county residents can sign up for the free Swift911 message notification system on their smartphones, tablets and computers. Swift911 is a high‐speed emergency notification system that alerts residents to emergency situations such as severe storm warnings, road closures, evacuations and others deemed necessary by public officials.

Search FEMA Flood Risk Maps by your address at https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search.

View NWS AHPS Flood Inundation maps at https://water.weather.gov/ahps/inundation.php.