Flood warnings remain in place for several areas of eastern North Carolina; the National Weather Service says some continue to rise, while water levels are starting to drop in other locations.
The Tar River at Greenville is expected to crest at around 17 feet, moderate flood stage, on Friday and then slowly drop during the weekend.
The Neuse River at Kinston is expected to crest at about 19 feet, moderate flood stage, on Saturday and start to drop back early next week.
The Neuse River at Goldsboro crested at just over 21 feet Wednesday) morning and is expected to drop out of flood stage Friday night.
Contentnea Creek at Hookerton crested around 16 feet on Tuesday and water levels will continue to slowly fall through the weekend.
Trent River at Trenton crested on Monday and is at minor flood stage Wednesday. The Cape Fear River at Chinquapin crested on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Pender County residents are still feeling the impacts of Tropical Storm Debby.
The northeast Cape Fear river in Burgaw finally crested Tuesday morning at 16.5 feet.
"It was last week at three feet," said Larry Owens.
He and his wife live in downtown Burgaw, but own another house on the banks of the river. As of Tuesday afternoon, the water was level with his elevated porch.
"We put everything upstairs, the furniture on blocks," he said, "So, you know, you have another four inches if it came in the house."
The water is high – but Tommy Batson, who leads Pender County emergency management, says it's starting to drop.
"It has started dropping… it's dropped .21 feet.," he said, "And that water, that water will continue to drop over the next week at NC highway 53."
Batson says that if the rain holds off, the Department of Transportation could reopen Highway 53 by Sunday. In the meantime, he's asking drivers to stop going around highway barricades. Pender emergency management has rescued multiple drivers since the roads closed.
"We continue to have people going around barricades and driving into flooded waters," Batson said, "We get out there and we pull them up, pull them out."
Updates on flooding are available HERE.
