Hurricane Ian dumped heavy rainfall on Onslow County Friday, flooded several roads

Morgan Starling, The Daily News
·2 min read
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Hurricane Ian pounded Onslow County Friday with heavy bouts of rain that led to the flooding of several roads, especially in North Topsail Beach.

Category 4 Hurricane Ian quickly downgraded to a tropical storm following its exit from Florida before strengthening back to a Category 1 storm Thursday evening as it neared the coast of South Carolina. Impacts began hitting Onslow County Thursday night but kicked into full swing throughout the day Friday.

Heavy rain pelted Onslow and several roads began seeing minor flooding Friday morning, increasing throughout the day. North Topsail Beach saw the worst impacts as high tide sent rushing water down the roadways.

Richard Peters Park at 465 New River Inlet Road saw major flooding as a result of overwash coming across from Onslow County Beach Access #4. The Town of North Topsail Beach also closed New River Inlet Road at Seagull Lane due to the high water.

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The New River saw high water levels Friday morning and standing water was evident in ditches and parking lots throughout the county.

More than 1,000 residents were without power early Friday morning and Onslow County Government reported midday Friday that reports of downed tree limbs had been coming in from around the county.

Onslow County residents, specifically in Richlands, were also having major concerns about pets. One resident found a litter of kittens, some of which didn't make it due to the storm. Others urged pet owners to keep their furry friends inside. Some residents even found unlikely pets in their yards, like Richlands resident Matt Leggieri who came across a snapping turtle splashing in his wet yard's grass.

Road closings also began to happen Friday afternoon as dangerous conditions worsened. The Town of Topsail Beach closed the beach to vehicular traffic until 5 p.m. Saturday due to storm surges and high tides. Further reports of flooded roads in Sneads Ferry and Swansboro came in throughout the day.

Reporter Morgan Starling can be reached at mstarling@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Daily News: Hurricane Ian flooded roads, dumped heavy rain on Onslow County Friday