Flash Flood in Wilkes County, North Carolina

Moravian Creek flooded and closed Germantown Road near Moravian Falls, and School Street in Wilkesboro. Twenty-seven people were evacuated from their homes along Moravian Creek, near Germantown Road, and six mobile homes were destroyed. Wilkesboro Community College received damage from the flooding of Moravian Creek. The grounds were heavily damaged, as was several buildings. The flooded creek eventually led to the collapse of a 150 foot long, 20 foot wide section of U.S. Highway 421 East exit ramp lane in Wilkesboro, which occurred during the early morning of May 27th. Monetary damages include this road collapse.

Extensive flooding took place along Cub Creek during the late morning and afternoon hours as two to three inches of rain fell across the basin with the passage of Tropical Storm Zeta, most of it within a one hour period, on top of an additional one to two inches that fell during the previous evening for a total of nearly five inches in 24 hours. Virtually all of Cub Creek Park was flooded, and the bridge on South Bridge Street that crosses the creek was completely over-topped by the flooded creek. Elsewhere, the dam of a 3.5 acre pond collapsed at around 1:40 pm EST, sending flood water that washed out at 20 foot section of Woodfield Way just downstream. Concern for the bridge on Industrial Park Road that crosses the creek about one mile downstream prompted evacuations of multiple businesses and apartments that would be cut off if the that bridge too was washed out, though it did not. Country Club Extension Road along Little Cub Creek was flooded and closed, as was Westover Road, where storage buildings and nearby residences were also flooded.

Numerous businesses along Wilkesboro Boulevard from the Yadkin River bridge to Memorial Park were flooded when the Yadkin River swiftly rose out of its banks, the result of 4 to 5 inches or rain within a 24-hour period both preceding and during the passage of Tropical Storm Zeta. Multiple personal weather stations observed 2-3 inches of rain within a 1-hour period just before the onset of flooding. Flash flooding ended as the river crested during mid-afternoon, and roads were reopened during the evening once the river receded. Among the businesses flooded were Extreme Collision Auto Body, which had to move several vehicles to prevent them from being damaged by flood waters. Flood waters completely inundated Memorial Park as well as the Yadkin River Greenway.