FAYETTEVILLE, N. C. -- Dozens of people gathered on a bridge crossing the Cape Fear River Tuesday to see if swirling flood water from Florence would pass the mark set by Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
They stared across the whirlpools and debris churning in the muddy river channel to focus on a train trestle bridge. That was where the water line stopped in October 2016 as Matthew’s floodwater invaded hundreds of homes across the area.
Now, towns, barely recovered from the last "big one," are bracing for history to repeat as the Cape Fear River crests.
It reached 60.84 feet at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, surging far past the flood stage at 35 feet. It’s expected to rage on until early Wednesday morning.
PHOTOS: Cape Fear River rises due to Florence
The higher the water, the greater the risk of floods in towns across Cumberland County.
“They said Matthew was a once-in-a-lifetime flood, and here you go again two years later,” said Stephen Bell.
Homes in Lumberton, already flooded days ago, as the impact of Florence is felt 100 miles inland, days after the skies cleared. For many, it’s the second time in less than two years.
Some people there just got their lives back together and their home repaired when the water rose again.
“You don’t want to see this. I’d never seen it like Matthew. It just doesn’t do that," said Keith Stanley as he peered over the rising Cape Fear River. "And two years later to see it again - it's just phenomenal."
Debris piled up against the train trestle bridge, creating a floating pile of full-sized trees, branches and other flooded items. It’s a log-jam much larger than during Matthew, according to those who remember watching the water rise two years ago
“It's a little more eerie, because we know that Matthew hit us in October. There’s still a lot more time in the hurricane season,” Bell said.
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