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Highway 53 is closed due to flooding
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Highway 53 is closed due to flooding

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY)–The North Carolina Department of Transportation has closed NC Hwy 53 from I-40 to NC Hwy 50 toward Maple Hill due to flooding from nearby rivers.

Emergency management is closely monitoring the Northeast Cape Fear River and the Black River, which have overflowed their banks.

At the NC Hwy 53 bridge, the water level is currently at 16.3 feet and is expected to reach 16.5 feet tomorrow.

The Pender County Emergency Operations Center is activated and prepared to respond to any water rescue calls in the event of an emergency.

Pender County Emergency Management Director Tommy Batson stressed the importance of paying attention to road closure barricades:

“If you see a barricade, stop and turn around. The road may be affected or completely washed away. There have been fatalities in other areas where people have gone around barricades and into the water. The water can be as deep as a few centimetres or as deep as 1.50 or 1.80 metres, which can cause a car to float and drag you away. So far we have had no fatalities and I hope to maintain that record throughout this event.”

Highway 53 from Burgaw to Maple Hill will be closed for the remainder of the week.

For alternate routes and real-time updates, please visit the NCDOT website.

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