Officials asking Yancey County resident to stay off roads until flooding can be assessed
YANCEY COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Latest Road Updates:
- NC-197 has reopened near Toddies Creek Rd.
- Wyatt Town Road has reopened near US-19.
- Blue Rock Road has reopened near Warner Way.
With more than 30 roads in Yancey County impassable, a curfew is in place until 6 a.m. Monday and school has been canceled.
Law enforcement says there is a possibility they may extend the curfew. Until a decision is made, they’re encouraging residents to stay off the roads.
A lot of the concern for Florence coming through the mountains was freshwater flooding which, as predicted, has been a big issue since Sunday afternoon for a lot of Western North Carolina.
Emergency workers said the South Toe and the Cane rivers are causing flooding many areas across the county. They said the Pensacola community along Highway 197 South and Alpine Village near the South Toe River have been the hardest hit, so far.
The Cane River was overflowing Highway 197 Sunday afternoon. Water was covering the highway in several locations and close to much of the road.
Emergency workers advised everyone to stay off Highway 197 and other flooded roads.
"Everybody, please stay home because you endanger the first responders who have to come get you," Yancey County Emergency Management's Jeff Howell said.
Because of the heavily saturated ground, the Sheriff’s Office is asking people to not leave their homes, putting themselves and others at risk.
“If someone works outside the county we would ask you tried to call your employer and let them know we're in a dangerous situation here and have a declaration of emergency and a curfew has been put in place until tomorrow,” Yancey County Sheriff Gary Banks.
The Sheriff’s Office says this is the first curfew Yancey County has issued in at least 15 years.
