By Megan V. Williams
Wilmington, NC – Although skies were clear over eastern part of the state by Friday, the worst of this week's storm may still be to come.
The National Weather Service predicts rain from the nor'easter will swell the Lumber River over flood stage Thursday tonight, peaking near 15 feet. And the Northeast Cape Fear isn't expected to crest until Monday, topping out just below major flood stage near Burgaw.
Wilmington-based Meteorologist Mark Bacon says that although the worst predictions didn't come to pass, the storm still dropped three to six inches of rain around the region.
With such a wide-spread storm pouring so much water into one river's basin, Bacon says, "that's when you get river flooding usually on top of, and lasting longer, than the rainfall-related flooding."
The nor'easter flooded some houses and roads in Robeson County, but failed to delay holiday travel at any of North Carolina's major airports.