34 inches later, it’s still raining in Swansboro

Seaside tourist town in NC breaks state record

It started raining Thursday in the quaint North Carolina tourist town of Swansboro, and it was still raining Sunday, 34 inches later.

The good news is that it’s supposed to stop – on Wednesday.

“We broke the state record for rain at one time,” Mayor John Davis said. “But, considering the strength of the storm and how long it has stayed, we did pretty well.”

The storm is Florence, and it roared onto the North Carolina coast last week and hasn’t left. Swansboro, the self-proclaimed “friendly city by the sea,” is home to about 3,000 people, on the Intracoastal Waterway about 80 miles northeast of Wilmington.

Davis told USA TODAY he doesn’t want to downplay the hardships facing many residents as the cleanup moves forward.

But he said roads have been cleared, and efforts to restore power, a process that could take two weeks to complete, are underway.

Davis said a few homes did flood. Storm surge caused minor damage to some businesses near the water. And the wind when Florence first hit took a toll.

“In our historic district, we had 10 roofs peel off like the top of cans,” he said.

National Weather Service meteorologist Bob Oravec said other cities also are likely to see rain totals reaching 30 inches before the rain finally stops later in the week.

“This is historic in terms of the amount of rain from one storm,”

Oravec said.

Davis, who has served as mayor for 10 months, estimated that about half of Swansboro’s residents are riding out the storm. He spent the past few days holed up in the public safety building with first responders, watching over his town.

“The days all blend together,” he said. “But we are moving forward.”

TOM COPELAND/AP High winds and water surround buildings as Hurricane Florence hits Front Street in downtown Swansboro, N.C., on Friday. The rain was still pouring Sunday and not expected to let up until Wednesday.