Prayers for the Islanders
Updated: Sep 20, 2024
It looks as though my coastal hometown of Carolina Beach, North Carolina has been inundated with floodwaters following torrential rain that dumped more than eighteen inches of rain in an evening. This has resulted in a local state of emergency.
The people of Pleasure Island, which includes the community of Carolina Beach, have some experience with flooding. There are, of course, the hurricanes and tropical storms that periodically ravage the area. And then there are nor’easters and even some particularly high tides.
When I lived on the island, it wasn’t unusual for significant high tides to result in some flooding at the north end of the island, although infrastructure improvements largely addressed that not-too-uncommon problem. I also experienced my share of hurricanes and tropical storms hitting the area when I lived there. Fortunately, my parents were in agreement about the wisdom of following evacuation orders. One hurricane tore up the roof of one house that my parents rented and torrential rain destroyed the ceiling. We lived with the smell and the inconvenience for some time until someone could be brought in to make the necessary repairs.
When I was a senior in high school, we once awoke to flooding at the north end of the island as a result of a nor’easter. My parents were out of town when that particular nor’easter hit and we had a party the night before the flooding hit. The next morning, I had friends trapped at our house until the floodwaters receded enough later that day that we could venture out and survey the impact. One upset mother repeatedly called to tell me that I needed to get her daughter home and I had to repeatedly assure her that I would do so just as soon as it was safe. I had taken my girlfriend home before I went to bed and before the flooding hit, so I didn’t have to worry about her folks being understandably upset.
Fortunately, that particular house was built on stilts. My mom’s car was totaled by the floodwaters and our laundry room was flooded. It could have been much worse. A friend’s older brother awoke to find floodwaters in his house.
Below is an article on the current situation in Carolina Beach. Feel free to click on the link and get the details if you are interested. But please, if you pray, please say a prayer for the people in harm’s way and those that will doubtless be left to clean up a significant mess. And please say a prayer for the emergency services workers putting themselves at risk rescuing people. Thanks!
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