(Map courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA))
(Map courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA))
Tropical Storm Alberto came ashore on Florida's Gulf coast the morning of 6/13. Over the next 24 hours it tracked across Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, reaching our area mid-morning on 6/14. We knew the rains were coming, but I think many underestimated HOW MUCH rain. It poured buckets steadily for several hours and before all was said and done, Apex had gotten nearly 7" of the wet stuff. Creeks became raging rivers, parking lots became lakes, and many roads were flooded and impassable.
Our firefighters stayed busy all day - they plucked one individual from the top of his vehicle that had gotten swept off the road by floodwaters, and assisted Cary firefighters with evacuations at a housing complex, along with several other weather-related emergencies.
Click the thumbnails to view a larger photo in a separate browser window.
| Problems Behind Beaver Creek Cinemas Photos by Sue-Lynn Hinson |
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| Behind Beaver Creek Cinemas, the sheer power of the water was evident after the storm. It had washed away several feet of dirt underneath the brand new asphalt parking lot, and caused the blacktop to buckle and separate. And as for the recently landscaped hill - a huge chunk of it let go and fell into the retention pond below, leaving a gaping mud hole in its place. | ||
 Nothing holding this asphalt up - we wouldn't be driving our fire trucks back here for awhile! |
 A better look at how much the blacktop separated |
 New trees, shrubs, mulch and all, down the drain! |
| The Floods Photos by Captain Ann Stephens, Apex Police Department |
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| As the storm progressed, Apex police officers were busy patrolling the area. Several major roads and highways around town were closed due to dangerously high water levels. Check out these photos from the front lines! | ||
 US 64W off-ramp |
 Apex Barbecue Road |
 Apex Barbecue Road |
 Parking lot at the Apex Community Park on Lake Pine Drive. Only the tip of the split-rail fence is visible on the right side of the photo, to give an idea of how deep this water was! |
 Another view of the community park lot - why the porta-john didn't float away, I'm not sure! |
 Another look at the parking lot after the waters had begun to recede a bit |
 Some critters were definitely displaced.... |
 The bridge on Kelly Road was completely inundated |
 A closer look - check out the turbulence on the left side, this water was moving fast! |
 NC 55 on-ramp |
 Beaver Creek overflowed onto Olive Chapel Road |
 Instant swamp-land! |
Copyright 2006 NCFirewolf