Motorists react after being stranded for hours on Highway 17 due to flooding

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WECT) – Hundreds of people were unable to get home Monday night after a storm brought over 10 inches of rain to parts of Brunswick County.

The Exxon gas station on Zion Church Road, off Highway 17 in Brunswick County, became a rest stop for motorists Monday evening, with many drivers stranded in their cars for 10 hours or more from the afternoon into the night.

The storm brought record rain and closed large parts of the highway. People had nowhere to go and had to spend the night in their cars.

“It's crazy,” said Amber Hogate, a mother of two young children. “The gas station is closed, so we can't get water or food. We're just trying to have a vacation with our family,” she added.

Hogate and her husband were traveling from Delaware to Myrtle Beach when flooding struck Brunswick County.

“I would love to be home, my three-year-old granddaughter is visiting and cried herself to sleep last night because she wanted her grandpa,” said Doug Smith.

“There were about five of us and we made friends here. We made the most of it. We got the deck chairs out and just sat around until about 2 a.m.,” Smith added.

“I've been here from New York for 23 years and I've never seen anything like this, even after hurricanes,” said Howard Gardner. “Nothing is moving south, nothing is moving north and the water is just not moving anywhere,” he added.

The gas station reopened shortly after 6 a.m. Police also opened the northbound lanes into Wilmington so drivers could turn around and return to the area. However, the southbound lanes remained closed.

David McIntire, director of emergency management in Brunswick County, says they are trying to assess the extent of the damage and find alternative routes for people.

McIntire asks people not to drive unless absolutely necessary, as flooding can be dangerous.

“Brunswick County has a very extensive list, I believe there are over 120 roads that are currently affected by water and therefore need to be closed,” McIntire said.

“Many of us were surprised at how quickly the system came along,” said McIntire, who said emergency services were already on alert after Tropical Storm Debby hit a few weeks earlier.

“We're probably a long way from getting back to normal traffic and draining the water out of the county. That's going to take some time,” McIntire said. “Don't go out on the road unless you absolutely have to. We understand emergencies happen, life goes on, but if you don't have a reason to be out on the road today, don't go out on the road today,” he added.

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