By Megan V. Williams
Wilmington, NC – An unusually wet August in southeastern North Carolina means more of Ernesto's rain is swelling the region's rivers. Tributaries of the northeast Cape Fear are above their banks and the river is running several feet higher than normal.
Emergency services in Duplin county report evacuations in the town of Chinquapin. According to the Star News, there are swift water rescue teams evacuating low-lying residents in the Pender County town of Maple Hill.
And in Bladen County, where the Black River is expected to flood, Emergency Services director Mitchell Boyd is worried his residents may think the danger has passed.
That might be the concept of some of the people here, that you know, we got a lot of rain, but it's already gone away. Well, yeah, it's gone away, but the rain that the people got 20 miles upstream is coming down here, but it won't be here for two or three days.
Southeastern rivers affected by Ernesto are expected to crest late Saturday or early Sunday morning.