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‘Nastiest I’ve Ever Seen It’: Residents Along Cape Fear River Brace for Record Floods ‘Nastiest I’ve Ever Seen It’: Residents Along Cape Fear River Brace for Record Floods
(about 20 hours later)
WILMINGTON, N.C. — J. Michael Hutson stood with his neighbors at the edge of the Northeast Cape Fear River on Tuesday morning, watching as its menacing brown waters advanced on their homes.WILMINGTON, N.C. — J. Michael Hutson stood with his neighbors at the edge of the Northeast Cape Fear River on Tuesday morning, watching as its menacing brown waters advanced on their homes.
“This is the nastiest I’ve ever seen it,” Mr. Hutson, 66, said of the tributary of the famed 202-mile river, the biggest in North Carolina. On a sunny summer day, its unobstructed views of a wide blue sky draw people from all over the state, the fishing and boating on its glassy waters an adventure for countless families and friends.“This is the nastiest I’ve ever seen it,” Mr. Hutson, 66, said of the tributary of the famed 202-mile river, the biggest in North Carolina. On a sunny summer day, its unobstructed views of a wide blue sky draw people from all over the state, the fishing and boating on its glassy waters an adventure for countless families and friends.
But the Cape Fear River in Wilmington can also be a beast, surging madly from its bed to overtake houses and send residents like Angela Baynes fleeing for higher ground.But the Cape Fear River in Wilmington can also be a beast, surging madly from its bed to overtake houses and send residents like Angela Baynes fleeing for higher ground.
Ms. Baynes spent Tuesday morning running back and forth between a river gauge website on her computer and the river itself, watching anxiously as the murky waters swallowed up the boat ramp parking lot and officials urged people to evacuate before the flooding got worse. She and her family had their bags packed and their car gassed up in case they needed to leave.Ms. Baynes spent Tuesday morning running back and forth between a river gauge website on her computer and the river itself, watching anxiously as the murky waters swallowed up the boat ramp parking lot and officials urged people to evacuate before the flooding got worse. She and her family had their bags packed and their car gassed up in case they needed to leave.
“All this mess is just a fact of life around here,” said Ms. Baynes, 48, a real estate agent. “It’s just a part of living by the river.”“All this mess is just a fact of life around here,” said Ms. Baynes, 48, a real estate agent. “It’s just a part of living by the river.”
The river itself has had many chapters, and the storm called Florence is just its latest. Over the centuries, it has served as an escape route for slaves, a thoroughfare to get supplies to the Confederate Army and the denouement scene in a 1962 psychological thriller movie and its 1991 remake.The river itself has had many chapters, and the storm called Florence is just its latest. Over the centuries, it has served as an escape route for slaves, a thoroughfare to get supplies to the Confederate Army and the denouement scene in a 1962 psychological thriller movie and its 1991 remake.
“The whole reason that Wilmington is where it is and the city developed is basically because of the river,” said Janet Davidson, the historian at the Cape Fear Museum in downtown Wilmington.“The whole reason that Wilmington is where it is and the city developed is basically because of the river,” said Janet Davidson, the historian at the Cape Fear Museum in downtown Wilmington.
Most of the rivers that flow through eastern North Carolina, including the Neuse and Tar, empty into massive coastal floodplains, making them tough to reach by ship, said Stanley Riggs, a retired coastal and marine geologist at East Carolina University.Most of the rivers that flow through eastern North Carolina, including the Neuse and Tar, empty into massive coastal floodplains, making them tough to reach by ship, said Stanley Riggs, a retired coastal and marine geologist at East Carolina University.
Cape Fear is different because it does not turn into an estuary until it reaches Wilmington, just 30 miles or so before it drains into the Atlantic Ocean.Cape Fear is different because it does not turn into an estuary until it reaches Wilmington, just 30 miles or so before it drains into the Atlantic Ocean.
“It’s a much deeper channel, a natural harbor,” Dr. Riggs said, “so it’s always been important for shipping, since colonial times.”“It’s a much deeper channel, a natural harbor,” Dr. Riggs said, “so it’s always been important for shipping, since colonial times.”
But it was not easy to convince Europeans to settle near the Cape Fear River, which gets its name from the Cape Fear Coast, whose rocky shores and shifting inlets discouraged settlement. Pirates loved them, though, and Blackbeard was a frequent visitor.But it was not easy to convince Europeans to settle near the Cape Fear River, which gets its name from the Cape Fear Coast, whose rocky shores and shifting inlets discouraged settlement. Pirates loved them, though, and Blackbeard was a frequent visitor.
Wilmington was incorporated in 1740, and the railroad arrived 100 years later, transforming the relatively minor East Coast port town into a bustling city with stately mansions, all of which were built by both free blacks and slaves.Wilmington was incorporated in 1740, and the railroad arrived 100 years later, transforming the relatively minor East Coast port town into a bustling city with stately mansions, all of which were built by both free blacks and slaves.
Although Charleston, S.C., was the center of the colonial slave market, Wilmington also trafficked in human bondage, Dr. Davidson said, and the region’s population was majority African-American for most of the 19th century.Although Charleston, S.C., was the center of the colonial slave market, Wilmington also trafficked in human bondage, Dr. Davidson said, and the region’s population was majority African-American for most of the 19th century.
One such slave was a plasterer named William B. Gould, who famously rowed down the Cape Fear River in a skiff with several others in 1862, eventually reaching Union ships blockading the city from the Atlantic. Throughout the Civil War, the river served as the “lifeblood of the Confederacy,” Dr. Davidson said, because its hard-to-navigate channel allowed blockade runners to get supplies through while other Southern ports were cut off.One such slave was a plasterer named William B. Gould, who famously rowed down the Cape Fear River in a skiff with several others in 1862, eventually reaching Union ships blockading the city from the Atlantic. Throughout the Civil War, the river served as the “lifeblood of the Confederacy,” Dr. Davidson said, because its hard-to-navigate channel allowed blockade runners to get supplies through while other Southern ports were cut off.
During the first half of the 20th century, Wilmington remained an important center of trade, including shipbuilding during both world wars. But as the textile industry grew, it was eventually surpassed in size and importance by North Carolina cities farther inland.During the first half of the 20th century, Wilmington remained an important center of trade, including shipbuilding during both world wars. But as the textile industry grew, it was eventually surpassed in size and importance by North Carolina cities farther inland.
Today, the city has reinvented itself as a tourist destination, enabled in part by the World War II-era Battleship North Carolina that is moored in the Cape Fear River as a museum, across from Wilmington’s downtown riverwalk and its shops and restaurants.Today, the city has reinvented itself as a tourist destination, enabled in part by the World War II-era Battleship North Carolina that is moored in the Cape Fear River as a museum, across from Wilmington’s downtown riverwalk and its shops and restaurants.
Eastern North Carolina rivers like the Cape Fear now serve less as the commercial lifeblood than they did in decades past. Instead, Dr. Riggs said, they are “our sewage and drainage systems.” Nowhere is that more evident than in the hundreds of pig farms in counties upstream along the Cape Fear and its tributaries. The state has 9.7 million pigs that produce nearly 10 billion gallons of manure every year.Eastern North Carolina rivers like the Cape Fear now serve less as the commercial lifeblood than they did in decades past. Instead, Dr. Riggs said, they are “our sewage and drainage systems.” Nowhere is that more evident than in the hundreds of pig farms in counties upstream along the Cape Fear and its tributaries. The state has 9.7 million pigs that produce nearly 10 billion gallons of manure every year.
“During a flood event,” Dr. Riggs said, “it’s like flushing a toilet.”“During a flood event,” Dr. Riggs said, “it’s like flushing a toilet.”
The Cape Fear, which is really a series of rivers including the Black, Deep and Haw, has flooded before, including one notable episode in February 1865, remembered as “Sherman’s Freshet,” when Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army was marching with his unit toward Fayetteville and they became mired in floodwaters.The Cape Fear, which is really a series of rivers including the Black, Deep and Haw, has flooded before, including one notable episode in February 1865, remembered as “Sherman’s Freshet,” when Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army was marching with his unit toward Fayetteville and they became mired in floodwaters.
With a 9,100-square-mile basin roughly the size of New Jersey, the Cape Fear and its tributaries can flood a wide swath of southeastern North Carolina, said Kemp Burdette, the Cape Fear riverkeeper. On Wednesday, the river is expected to crest in Fayetteville, potentially swamping bridges through the center of the city. With a 9,100-square-mile basin roughly the size of New Jersey, the Cape Fear and its tributaries can flood a wide swath of southeastern North Carolina, said Kemp Burdette, the Cape Fear riverkeeper. The river crested in Fayetteville early Wednesday, topping out about three and a half feet higher than it had been after Hurricane Matthew in 2016, sending floodwaters around some apartment complexes and into some businesses, but not appearing to cause the damage many had feared.
And a roughly 40-mile stretch of the Cape Fear is a tidal river. Every 12 hours, a high tide creates a sort of dam that slows the flow and creates a tug of war that can contribute to flooding when the flow is exceptionally high.And a roughly 40-mile stretch of the Cape Fear is a tidal river. Every 12 hours, a high tide creates a sort of dam that slows the flow and creates a tug of war that can contribute to flooding when the flow is exceptionally high.
Mr. Burdette, who grew up in Wilmington, said Florence is likely to eclipse flood records set by Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016. He said recent hurricanes have been influenced, to a certain extent, by climate change, adding that more than three-quarters of the floods in downtown Wilmington over the past 60 years have come during the past decade.Mr. Burdette, who grew up in Wilmington, said Florence is likely to eclipse flood records set by Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016. He said recent hurricanes have been influenced, to a certain extent, by climate change, adding that more than three-quarters of the floods in downtown Wilmington over the past 60 years have come during the past decade.
Late Tuesday morning, as residents along the length of the Cape Fear River took stock of the damage and debated whether to leave before the flooding would get worse, a bright orange Coast Guard helicopter circled a nearby neighborhood in Rocky Point, N.C., and descended into a field.Late Tuesday morning, as residents along the length of the Cape Fear River took stock of the damage and debated whether to leave before the flooding would get worse, a bright orange Coast Guard helicopter circled a nearby neighborhood in Rocky Point, N.C., and descended into a field.
“Yay, they landed!” someone said, and children and families started running. For days, this community of modest homes by a wildlife reserve had watched helicopters pass overhead, hoping that one might stop to bring supplies. This one had arrived to pick up several families with young children whose homes were in danger of flooding.“Yay, they landed!” someone said, and children and families started running. For days, this community of modest homes by a wildlife reserve had watched helicopters pass overhead, hoping that one might stop to bring supplies. This one had arrived to pick up several families with young children whose homes were in danger of flooding.
Residents of this inland community bordering the Northeast Cape Fear River said they had not been told at first to leave. “By the time they said to evacuate there was no gas,” said Danielle Carr, 27.Residents of this inland community bordering the Northeast Cape Fear River said they had not been told at first to leave. “By the time they said to evacuate there was no gas,” said Danielle Carr, 27.
Now, there was no exit, every route blocked by water. “You can maybe drive a total of five miles on this island,” her father, John Dixon, 67, said.Now, there was no exit, every route blocked by water. “You can maybe drive a total of five miles on this island,” her father, John Dixon, 67, said.
The helicopter crew’s previous mission had been to pick up a sick child from another now-isolated community, Burgaw, and ferry him to an ambulance in Wilmington. On Tuesday afternoon, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, there was no longer a safe way in or out of Wilmington.The helicopter crew’s previous mission had been to pick up a sick child from another now-isolated community, Burgaw, and ferry him to an ambulance in Wilmington. On Tuesday afternoon, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, there was no longer a safe way in or out of Wilmington.