WILMINGTON, N.C. — Coast Guard Rear Adm. Meredith Austin, commander, 5th Coast Guard District, visited the North Carolina Emergency Management Eastern Branch Regional Coordination Center in Kinston, North Carolina, and conducted an overflight to survey flooded areas Wednesday.
Austin received a briefing and tour from Dianne Curtis, director of the Eastern Branch, then joined an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, to survey flooded areas in Greenville, North Carolina.
Hurricane Matthew deposited up to 18 inches of rain in central and eastern North Carolina October 8, swelling the rivers and causing flooding and damage to inland communities.
The Tar River is predicted to crest late in the day Thursday; officials have urged thousands of Greenville residents to evacuate the area before flooding worsens.
"The partnership between the Coast Guard and North Carolina emergency management agencies is phenomenal," said Curtis. "But danger is still present. It's vital for citizens to heed warnings and follow directions from emergency managers and local officials, especially as the threat of flooding persists."