In Wilson County flood plain, water blocks roads
The weekend's heavy rain brought a familiar result along Pelt Road in Stantonsburg. Residents there say the Contenna Creek has flooded three times this spring.
Posted — Updated"You have to drive through water to get out," said Jerry Wiggs.
His family has lived on Pelt Road for more than 20 years and is accustomed to seeing the roads in the neighborhood turned to a river.
"When we were working, we had to go through water to go to work," he said. "(You) just got to truck through it because you need things."
Water covered nearby N.C. Highway 222 for about a mile Tuesday, but neighbors say the state has done little to relieve the problem. The area is in a flood plain, between the Turner and Ivy swamps in Wilson County.
Jennifer G. Heiss, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, said the drain pipes in the area simply can't keep up with heavy downpours.
Residents worry that driving through standing water will lead to a loss of life. Wiggs described a neighbor who recently lost control of his truck.
"He hydroplaned and started floating off, and he tried to get it back on the road and it went in the ditch," Wiggs said.
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