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12 Roads in Watauga Closed, Water River Nearly 13 Feet High at Rominger Road, See More Photos From Flood

By Jesse Wood

May 6, 2013. With so many roadways and bridges flooded, the Boone Police Department, on its Twitter account Monday morning, is advising: “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”

At 8 a.m. this morning, the National Weather Service noted in its Flood Warning, which has been extended until 8 p.m. tonight, that four to six inches of rain has already fallen and an additional one to two inches are possible by Monday evening.

But Ray Russell at Raysweather.com said the “rain will taper off early this afternoon.” 

“We are almost into the ‘dry slot’ in the storm system,” Russell said. “It may not be completely dry but it will be relatively dry this afternoon and tonight. Showers will pick up again Tuesday and continue into Wednesday.”

As of 9:30 a.m. Monday, the Watauga River near Sugar Grove had crested close to 13 feet, double the flood-stage level, and is nearing high-water levels of the Jan. 30 flood, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. (See photos below, the rock at the Watauga River Bridge at Rominger Road is completely submerged.)

One difference between the flood in late January and this one is that the high-water levels were reached in the middle of the night, when the majority of drivers weren’t on the road.

Keving Whittington, maintenance engineer for Watauga County with N.C. Department of Transportation, is advising caution and asking for patience from residents.

Crews started working about 5:30 p.m. on Sunday and continued through the night setting up barricades, removing trees from roads and assessing damage.

“It’s kind of hectic. It really is,” Whittington said. [As for damage], it’s kind of hard to tell right now the water is so high. We don’t know the damage underneath all of that. We are continually experiencing trees and small rock slides – nothing major.” 

He added that crews made sure debris was out of the major arteries coming into town and are now working on secondary roads. He said no primary roads are closed. However, 12 roads in the county are currently closed: 

  • Watauga River Road
  • Guy Ford Road
  • Brookshire Road Bridge
  • Roby Greene Road
  • Del Coffey Road
  • New River Hills/Charlie Hollar Roads
  • Deerfield Road
  • Niley Cook Road
  • Bamboo Road
  • Laurel Creek Road
  • Aldridge Road
  • Dewitt Barnett Road

Photos below by Jesse Wood, Ken Ketchie and Lonnie Webster

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The rock at the Watauga River Bridge along Rominger Road isn’t visible. Photo by Jesse Wood

 

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Nearly the whole valley at Rominger Road off of U.S. 321 is a washout. Photo by Jesse Wood

 

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The valley in between U.S. 321 and Howard Edmisten Road is flooded. Photo by Jesse Wood

 

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The valley in between U.S. 321 and Howard Edmisten Road is flooded. Photo by Jesse Wood

 

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The valley in between U.S. 321 and Howard Edmisten Road is flooded. Photo by Jesse Wood

 

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A bridge in Foscoe is nearly flooded. Photo by Ken Ketchie

 

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Watauga River along Old Shulls Mill is nearly cresting above the roadway. Photo by Ken Ketchie

 

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Watauga River along Old Shulls Mill is nearly cresting above the roadway. Photo by Ken Ketchie

 

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A low-water residential bridge in Valle Crucis is completely under water. Photo by Ken Ketchie

 

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Looking upstream from the underwater bridge in Valle Crucis – Photo by Ken Ketchie Photo by Ken Ketchie

 

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The U.S. 321 entrance to the Boone Mall was closed this morning. Photo by Ken Ketchie

 

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A car at the Boone Mall is submerged to the front bumper. Photo by Ken Ketchie

 

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Soccer fields at Brookshire Park – Photo by Ken Ketchie

 

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New River Hills Road – Photo by Ken Ketchie

 

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Deerfield Road near the golf course. Photo by Ken Ketchie

 

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The Boone Golf Club at Deerfield Road. Photo by Ken Ketchie

 

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Photo by Ken Ketchie

 

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Laurel Creek Road is submerged - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Trash Can Falls below Laurel Creek Road - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Trash Can Falls below Laurel Creek Road – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster

Flooding in Watauga River Valley - Photo by Lonnie Webster
Flooding in Watauga River Valley – Photo by Lonnie Webster