Heavy rain late Sunday and early Monday caused flooding that forced evacuations and rescues across the Charlotte metro region.
No serious injuries were reported, but a number of roads and intersections remain closed this morning.
The Rowan-Salisbury Schools are closed today, and the Cabarrus County Schools are opening on a two-hour delay, due to high water on several roads.
Flooding and closed roads were reported in Burke, Cabarrus, Catawba, Iredell, Rowan, Union and York counties late Sunday night and early today. A few hours later, as the frontal system that produced the rain moved eastward, flooding also was reported in Anson and Richmond counties.
The heavy rain has pushed off to the east, and authorities say they expect the water levels in streams and rivers to recede during the day.
Firefighters and police were kept busy for several hours overnight, rescuing trapped motorists and getting people out of homes that were flooded.
The area along the Briar Creek near the Plaza-Midwood community was especially hard-hit.
Charlotte fire Capt. Rob Brisley said a motorist trapped in a vehicle in the 3800 block of Country Club Drive, in the Plaza-Midwood area, was rescued about 1 a.m. Another rescue took place about the same time in the 1600 block of Masonic Drive, near Central Avenue.
And shortly before 1 a.m., Brisley said, firefighters helped a number of residents in the 3000 block of Dunlavin Way, not far from Country Club Drive.
Firefighters used two Charlotte Area Transit System buses as temporary shelters during the night, but all residents were able to return to their homes before daybreak.
Flooding from Briar Creek and its tributaries caused those problems.
But there was flooding elsewhere in Charlotte. Sharon Road was closed for several hours due to high water, as was North Wendover Road not far from Randolph Road.
In the Charlotte area, police say the only road closure at 7:30 a.m. was Quail Hollow Road at Hamptonridge. Earlier, flooding had forced authorities in Charlotte to close several other roads:
— Outbound Independence Boulevard at Interstate 277.
— Hanson Road at Myers Park.
— Sharon Road at Westminster Road.
— Reedy Creek Road at Harrisburg Road.
— Central Avenue at Morningside Drive.
— North Wendover Road
— Choate Circle at Moss Road.
Here is a look at the flooding situation in other nearby counties:
Burke County: Flooding here began about 9 p.m. Authorities reported N.C. 126 closed at Brookstone Road, and Browning Road at Pea Road. Both of those are near Morganton.
Also flooded were Browning Road at Pea Ridge Road, about 10 miles northwest of Morganton; and Conley Road at Byrd Road, about 5 miles southwest of Morganton.
Cabarrus County: Problems were reported across the county, especially in Kannapolis and near Harrisburg. Shortly after midnight, residents in an apartment on Crestmont Road in Kannapolis were forced out of building when water from a nearby creek started seeping into the building.
Two houses on Black Jack Oak Court, between Harrisburg and Kannapolis, were evacuated when Fuda Creek flooded. In addition, Stallings and Pharr Mill roads were closed for several hours due to high water, and firefighters were forced to conduct at least one swiftwater rescue.
Catawba County: Several roads near Newton — Little Mountain, East Sandy Crossroads and Rocky Ford — were closed for much of the night after they began flooding about 10:30 p.m.
Iredell County: Roads were closed everywhere across the county for several hours, but no evacuations were reported.
Lincoln County: Lincoln County Communications reported that high water closed several secondary roads in the western part of the county during the night.
Kristy Mueller with the Lincolnton Police Department said flooding in the 700 block of East Main Street. stranded a motorist around 11 p.m., but that officers got him out safely. High water closed a bridge over the South Fork River on North Flint Street. And Mueller said the bridge on Massapoag Road was “completely gone.”
Rowan County: Salisbury was hard-hit by flooding, with Innes Street (near Interstate 85), Jake Alexander Road at Morlan Park, and Sunset Road closed. In addition, Happy Lake Road, about 8 miles south of Salisbury, was closed by high water.
Union County: Twelve Mile Creek, between Waxhaw and Weddington, went over its banks. But no evacuations were reported and no roads closed.
York County: High water forced authorities to close a number of roads in the northwest part of the county shortly after 11 p.m. In addition, flooding closed U.S. 521 at several spots south of Pineville.
