03/27/2024
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McCroryGov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency for all of North Carolina on Thursday morning as preparations are under way for expected heavy rains through Saturday.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for Bladen and surrounding counties through Saturday night in anticipation of up to 7 inches of rain possible in some areas.

Tropical moisture ahead of Hurricane Joaquin is expected to stream into the flood watch area Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service forecast. The system is expected to bring prolonged periods of heavy rain with widespread accumulations of 4 to 7 inches through Saturday. Some areas may see considerably higher totals depending on the hurricane’s track.

A flood watch means there is a potential for flooding based on current forecasts.

The expected rain has caused some events to be postponed. Here’s a partial list:

** All Bladen County youth soccer games scheduled Thursday at the County Park have been postponed. No make-up date has been announced.

** Bladen County middle school football games scheduled Thursday have been moved to Monday at 6 p.m. The games will have Clarkton School of Discovery at Tar Heel and Elizabethtown at Bladenboro.

** The United Way Color Fun Run scheduled Saturday at Elizabethtown Industrial Park has been rescheduled for Oct. 24.

** The Vineyard Golf at White Lake anniversary tournament scheduled Saturday has been postponed until Oct. 10.

** Star Communications’ food drive scheduled Saturday at Bo’s Foods in Elizabethtown has been postponed.

** Moores Creek National Battlefield in Currie will be closed Saturday and Sunday, according to Supt. Ricardo Perez.

Meanwhile, in Raleigh, McCrory issued the state of emergency ahead of the storm. It waives restrictions for the state’s storm response teams.

“We’re checking our resources and going through our checklist to ensure that we are ready for whatever may come and I’m asking all North Carolinians to do the same,” McCrory said during a press conference. “Please follow directions from local officials. They’re working hard to keep us safe, and will let you know if you need to evacuate.

“”We’re going to be over prepared and hope we have to respond to nothing, but we’ll be ready to respond to the worst.”

McCrory cautioned people to be aware of flooded areas that may result from the rain through the weekend.

“I cannot stress enough to stay away from flooded areas or roads,” McCrory said. “Most storm related deaths are due to drowning. Don’t try to make it through what you think is a puddle at the intersection because it could be a heavily flooded area that could kill you or members of your family.

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