
North Carolina flood update: Eno river reaches highest level as Chantal wreaks havoc amid evacuations, power cuts
Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall near Litchfield Beach, South Carolina on Sunday. It passed across central North Carolina, where it dumped up to nine inches of rain in a 24-hour period in some places.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service (NWS) released a flash flood warning in the afternoon amid the heavy rains. With this, Town of Chapel Hill started toissue alerts throughout Sunday.
One of those notifications stated that local first responders were 'in the process' of rescuing several units within the Camelot Village subdivision in the 100 block of South Estes Drive owing to flash flooding shortly after 9 p.m.
Over the course of the night, the evacuations extended to neighboring locations off Bolin Creek. In an update released just before midnight, the local government stated that the flooding forced over 60 residents to evacuate and that first responders assisted dozens of people in getting them to safety.
Twenty people of Camelot Village were rescued and relocated, while 18 occupants of the University Place mall's 900 Willow apartment complex required temporary housing. Additionally, Chapel Hill stated that two residents were relocated from Bolinwood Condominiums, two from Booker Creek Townhouse Apartments, and 21 from Airport Gardens off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Also Read: Trump blasted over 'four-word' bizarre response on Fed cuts as Texas flood death toll rises; 'His ears don't hear truth'
North Carolina floods: Orange County residents urged to avoid traveling
On Facebook, the Orange County Sheriff's Office issued a warning at 6:49 p.m. about rising waters in a number of areas further north in Orange County. People were advised to stay away from 'Churton Street at Orange Grove Road, Old NC Highway 86 at Spring Hill Road, and the Ashbury apartments on Highway 70 West close to the Alamance County line'. In a similar tweet on Sunday night, the Town of Hillsborough stated that roads were flooded all around the town and that residents were urged to avoid traveling if possible.
No injuries or deaths have been reported so far.
Eno River water level surges amid electricity cuts, no power at water treatment plant
The North Carolina sheriff of Chatham County said on social media that over 100 roads in the county were flooded after State Highway 902 collapsed close to Chatham Road.
The Eno River near Durham, North Carolina, rose 24 feet in less than 12 hours, peaking at over 25 feet early Monday morning, reaching significant flood stage.
Late on Sunday, the city of Mebane in Orange and Alamance Counties released a voluntary evacuation order amid worries about the Lake Michael Dam's possible failure. The city says there is no power at their water treatment plant.
Alamance, Orange, and Durham Counties saw about 28,000 people facing power cuts onMonday morning.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Is FEMA assisting Texas recovery efforts amid catastrophic flood? Here's what we know as WH calls it ‘an act of God'
The devastating floods in Texas may mark the beginning of a new normal in the US as President Donald Trump and his supporters dismantle important government organisations that assist states in preparing for and responding to extreme weather and other threats, warned experts. The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas rose to more than 100 on July 7, as rescuers continued their grim search for people swept away by torrents of water. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP)(AFP) Flash floods in the dry region known as Texas Hill Country swept away entire vacation camps and homes on Friday night, leaving over 100 people dead and several others missing. There are still questions about why the early warning system did not lead to the prompt evacuation of Camp Mystic, where 700 girls were staying on a known flood plain on the Guadalupe River. There is growing worry that the instability and cuts at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and National Weather Service (NWS) caused by Trump and his billionaire contributor Elon Musk may have led to the casualties. 'It takes a lot of money, expertise and time to eliminate risk and make sure that agencies are prepared to respond when a flood situation like in Texas happens. And if you eliminate those preparedness efforts, if you fire the people who do that work, then the response will not be effective,' stated Samantha Montano, who works as a emergency management professor at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, as per The Guardian. Also Read: Melania Trump's Texas floods post sparks outrage as she offers just two things to victims; 'You and your husband…' What is FEMA and what are Trump cuts? Jimmy Carter founded FEMA in 1979 because states were having a hard time dealing with large-scale disasters. FEMA operates closely with state and local government organizations to offer resources, collaboration, technical expertise, leadership, and public outreach when they are unable to handle things on their own. After coming back to the White House, Trump ridiculed the organization while it was still working to assist communities affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles and Hurricane Helene that killed at least 230 people in southern Appalachia. He even threatened to dismantle FEMA. According to reports, almost one-third of FEMA's permanent full-time employees have either been let go or accepted buyouts. These workers included most seasoned and competent officials who oversee disaster response. Is FEMA assisting Texas amid flash flooding? Trump on July 6 signed a key disaster designation for Texas, triggering FEMA to assist the state in the face of devastating flash flooding. FEMA infrastructure reportedly has been a source of assistance as Travis County (Texas) Judge Andy Brown stated to CNN that 'Our emergency apparatus here in Travis County and in the state of Texas, frankly, would not work without the assistance of FEMA and the National Weather Service.' According to the Dallas-Fort Worth news station NBC 5, 'FEMA will work with Texas state and local authorities to aid in the search and rescue efforts.' On her X account, US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem stated, 'We are currently deploying federal emergency management resources to Texas first responders, and will work closely with state and local authorities to ensure the people of Texas get the support they need as search efforts continue and recovery begins.' Retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré told CNN that he opposes Trump's plan to dismantle FEMA following the devastating flooding in Central Texas. He said that FEMA needs to be improved, not destroyed. "We need FEMA, and we need them to do what they're doing and do it better, but not destroy FEMA. That's a bad idea.' Meanwhile, the White House on Monday dubbed the deadly Texas floods 'an act of God'.
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
5 hours ago
- First Post
Explained: Why the Texas floods were so catastrophic
The death toll in the flash floods in Texas has surpassed 100, with many still missing. But why was the deluge so deadly? Geography, climate change and policy failures amplified the impact of the storm read more Volunteers search for missing people along the banks of the Guadalupe River after recent flooding. AP Catastrophic flash floods hit Texas on Friday (July 4) amid Independence Day celebrations. Nearly 104 people have died while hundreds of others are missing as the deluge struck a children's summer camp and other holiday spots. Search operations are now underway amid predictions for more rain in the coming days. The floods were unprecedented. A month's rainfall was received in just a few hours, causing the Guadalupe River to burst its banks. But what was the reason for such torrential rain? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What caused the flash floods? The National Weather Service (NWS) has termed flash flooding as a rapid and extreme flow of high water into a normally dry area, which was witnessed on July 4. It mainly occurs when the water level of a stream rises rapidly above the preset flood levels. In the case of the Texas floods, the area was in the middle of a drought, which worsened the situation, reported Associated Press. People climb over debris on a bridge atop the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area. AP Hatim Sharif, a hydrologist at the University of Texas at San Antonio, noted that Texas's Hill Country sits in an area known as 'Flash Flood Alley'. The ascent of warm Gulf air along the Balcones Escarpment, a formidable arc of steep hills and cliffs southwest of Dallas, leads to rapid cooling and intense downpours. These heavy rains quickly wash away the shallow soil, exposing the bedrock beneath. 'Water will rise very, very quickly, within minutes or a few hours,' Sharif told AFP. This was proved in the early hours of July 4. Around 3:00 am, a gauge near Camp Mystic in Hunt showed the Guadalupe River rising nearly a foot (30 centimetres) every five minutes; by 4:30 am, the river had surged more than 20 feet, National Weather Service data show. That's enough water to sweep away people, vehicles and buildings. An urgent NWS warning went out shortly after 1 am, but most campers were asleep; phones are banned, coverage is patchy, and darkness makes escape routes hard to judge. Sharif urges the use of hydrologic forecasts that convert rainfall into likely river levels. 'Rainfall needs to be translated into runoff,' he said. 'If you have 10 inches, what will happen?' Summer camps have long been drawn to the region for its natural beauty. But with increasing risks, Sharif warns that treating these sites as safe or permanent is unwise. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Is climate change to blame? Climate change has come up once again in conversations after the floods. According to a new analysis by ClimaMeter, the extreme meteorological conditions preceding the floods, delivering more than double the typical monthly rainfall in just one day, suggest a cause beyond natural climate fluctuations. 'Climate change is already affecting us, so we need to adapt,' said Mireia Ginesta, a climate scientist at the University of Oxford, who co-authored the research, which is funded by the European Union and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). 'We also need to cut our emissions, and make sure that proper funding is provided to the forecast services and research in general on climate change.' Marissa Zachry, a rescue worker, takes a moment while searching for survivors along the Guadalupe River on Sunday, July 6, 2025, in Hunt, Texas. AP The call comes as the National Weather Service, like other agencies, has experienced deep staffing cuts under President Donald Trump's administration. Experts stress, however, that NWS forecasters performed admirably under the circumstances. The real failure, wrote climate scientist Daniel Swain on Bluesky, 'was not a bad weather prediction, it was one of 'last mile' forecast/warning dissemination.' Was there a warning system in place? According to USA TODAY, the NWS issued flash flood alerts just after 1 am and 4 am, but since most people near the river were asleep, they missed it altogether. A 'flood watch' was issued July 3 with the weather agency stating that there was a 'slight risk' of flash flooding. But there was nothing indicating catastrophic floods like what took place in the early morning hours of July 4, the report said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD For years, commissioners in Kerr County, where the camps lie, considered flood sirens and digital alerts to replace the informal practice of summer camp staff getting on the radio and warning fellow camps. Minutes from a 2016 meeting show officials labelling even a feasibility study 'a little extravagant,' suggesting sirens would mainly help tourists, and vouching for the word-of-mouth system. 'The thought of our beautiful Kerr County having these damn sirens going off in the middle of night, I'm going to have to start drinking again to put up with y'all,' Commissioner HA Buster Baldwin said in a transcript. The debate rolled on. Residents during meetings in 2021 expressed strident opposition toward relying on federal funds tied to the Biden administration. After the disaster, San Antonio mother Nicole Wilson, who almost sent her daughters to Camp Mystic, launched a petition on urging Governor Greg Abbott to approve a modern warning network. 'Five minutes of that siren going off could have saved every single one of those children,' she told AFP. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies


NDTV
5 hours ago
- NDTV
Texas Man "Bleeds Out" After Cutting Artery While Saving Family From Floodwater
Texas: A Texas man is being hailed as a hero after he died while trying to save his family from the catastrophic flooding in areas near the Guadalupe River in the United States. Julian Ryan was at his Ingram home, which he shared with his fiancee, Christinia Wilson, their children and his mother when the floodwater began to rise on the morning of Friday, July 4. "It just started pouring in, and we had to fight the door to get it closed, just so that too much didn't come in. We ran back to the room and we started calling 911," Wilson told CBS affiliate KHOU. She said that within 20 minutes, the floodwater was up to their knees. With rising water levels and no help in sight, desperate Ryan punched through a window to get Wilson, their children and his mother to the roof. But in the process, the 27-year-old injured himself. "(The glass) severed his artery in his arm and almost cut it clean off," according to Wilson. 27-year-old man dies while saving his fiancée, children & mom during the Texas flash floods 'I'm sorry, I'm not going to make it. I love y'all,' were Julian Ryan's last words. When Ryan realized 911 wouldn't be able to save them in time as water rushed into the home, he punched… — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 6, 2025 Despite heavy bleeding, he managed to get his family to safety. The family repeatedly dialled 911 to get help, but emergency personnel couldn't reach the home in time due to heavy flooding in the area, and Ryan bled to death. "By six o'clock, (Ryan) was dead. He'd lost all his blood," Wilson said. Recalling his last moments, she said that Ryan looked at her and the kids and his mother and said, 'I'm sorry, I'm not going to make it. I love you all." Ryan's body was recovered hours later after the floodwater receded. Texas Flooding The number of deaths from catastrophic flooding in Texas rose to more than 100 on Monday, as rescuers continued their grim search for people swept away by torrents of water. Among the dead were at least 27 girls and counsellors who were staying at a youth summer camp on a river when disaster struck over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. The bulk of the deaths were concentrated in and around the riverfront town of Kerrville and the grounds of Camp Mystic, situated in a swath of Texas Hill Country known as "flash flood alley." Forecasters have warned of more flooding as rain continues in the area, complicating recovery efforts involving helicopters, boats, dogs and some 1,750 personnel. President Donald Trump confirmed he planned to visit Texas on Friday, as the White House slammed critics claiming his cuts to weather agencies had weakened warning systems. "Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday. She said the National Weather Service, which The New York Times reported had several key roles in Texas unfilled before the floods, issued "timely and precise forecasts and warnings." Trump has described the floods that struck in the early hours of Friday as a "100-year catastrophe" that "nobody expected." The president, who previously said disaster relief should be handled at the state level, has signed a major disaster declaration, activating fresh federal funds and freeing up resources.