The aerial views in the Star news are interesting showing at least one man needing to be rescued from his home, but, a photo is missing that could be helpful. An aerial view of the Cape Fear River taken when Hurricane Floyd passed showed enormous amounts of water pushing into the ocean. What concerns me is the continuing rain both into rivers and the coastal waters. If the ocean is swollen with rain and higher because of wind the major rivers in North and South Carolina could back up for longer than normally excepted. What the Governors need to know to plan their way forward is the drainage of the tributaries.
I think a survey of the mouth of the rivers where they meet the oceans would provide insight. If the rivers are robustly pushing back the ocean drainage will be good. If the mouth of the rivers are flat, that means even the local ocean waters are swollen and will delay drainage of the rivers and tributaries. If that is the case, it should change once the rains slow and stop. If that doesn’t occur it means the elevation offshore is the same onshore and there are stagnant conditions and could be permanent flooded lands.
Hydrologists with the Army Corp. will be helpful.
The reason it would be permanently flooded is due to erosion of prolonged exposures to turbulent waters.
