Flash Flooding in Edgemont May 2018

redneck grrrl

redneck grrrl

That girl
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Location
Dudley Shoals, NC
We had planned a family BBQ for 5-19-2018 and I took the day off of work the day before to help set up. It was raining on and off for most of the day just at the weather forecast said it would. I got my camp set up in the dry and relaxed a bit, planned to put meat on the smoker about 10pm so I thought I may catch a nap. Did not go as planned. Glad I'm home safe but I spent the most terrifying night of my life Friday night. The sounds will haunt me forever.

Lisa Hodges Craig

Set up as of about 4pm Friday afternoon:
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about an hour later:
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my tent cot and my trailer has floated about 100 feet from where I parked it and is completely underwater.
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Wilson Creek I assume? I've heard too many stories about how quickly that place floods.
 
Yeah, we had some flooding up this way.
My driveway is gone, and from what I have heard the Wilson creek/edgemont/colletsville area got it worse than we did.

Lots of roads closed around the backside of grandfather.
 
As Bad as that is, someone was killed in Polk co., when a mudslide crushed their Home. That may be a First for NC. Hwy 221 has had a couple of washouts, & today there was more washouts near Grandfather Mtn. And, the Rain continues!
 
Hate that for you. You’re not but a foot or two above the river with normal water level where your place is situated correct?
 
I was headed out of boone when three flash flood alerts popped on my phone I figured somewhere was about to get hammered bad, hate it for everyone involved that mountain weather can get down right nasty
 
House is 44 inches above highest recorded flood. IIRC the piers/post/stilts 12 ft. But yes we knew the risk when building. House stood strong. Lessons learned 1) to plan for impact. Plans are to install concrete barriers on the up stream side of the house to help divert debris. Exact method TBD. 2) Power is out up there on a regular basis and no cell phone service. House does have wi-fi but has to have power----two-way radios/weather band will be there before the end of the week. The flood siren did not make a peep, we knew the forecast was for rain but did not get any flash flood warnings or anything because the power was out. Again, lesson learned.
 
redneck grrrl said:
House is 44 inches above highest recorded flood. IIRC the piers/post/stilts 12 ft.
Click to expand...
So high how is the house above the highest recorded flood now? Looked like less than 44" to me!
 
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@jeepinmatt this picture may give a better perspective, folks say the area the house is on has had water but no "flood", IDK, our neighbor up the road is closer to the creek and stayed dry.... water is powerful and strange.

32949540_10216636813057391_1257460909807239168_n.jpg
 
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redneck grrrl said:
@jeepinmatt this picture may give a better perspective, folks say the area the house is on has had water but no "flood", IDK, our neighbor up the road is closer to the creek and stayed dry.... water is powerful and strange.

32949540_10216636813057391_1257460909807239168_n.jpg
Click to expand...
I'm just wondering if that was a new record flood level because this looks like less than 44":
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redneck grrrl said:
@jeepinmatt this picture may give a better perspective, folks say the area the house is on has had water but no "flood", IDK, our neighbor up the road is closer to the creek and stayed dry.... water is powerful and strange.

32949540_10216636813057391_1257460909807239168_n.jpg
Click to expand...

Is your house after a bend in the river? Or above a bridge that is fairly close? Either of those will cause a river to jump the back easier


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Loganwayne said:
Is your house after a bend in the river? Or above a bridge that is fairly close? Either of those will cause a river to jump the back easier


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Click to expand...
 
Actually yes I'm pretty sure it is. It's my parents place.
 
Sharp bends and bridges usually pick
Up the junk floating down the river. Causing a back up and “localized” flooding that could explain why their house flooded and the neighbors didn’t if they have similar banks. That’s what happened in Clyde river was out of banks but somewhat contained, three bridges and a sharp bend clogged up right below town and basically everything got a min of 3’ of water in it.


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