KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Heavy rainfall in Cabarrus County forced dozens of people to be evacuated from their homes on Tuesday.
Officials said 30 people were evacuated around Tiffany Drive in Kannapolis Tuesday afternoon due to excessive flooding. No injuries were reported.
Many residents trapped by the water were rescued by boat.
"It had already reached my third step and front door," Clivette Daningburg said.
"We rafted all the way out here," neighbor Joanie Ledbetter added.
Flooding is common in low-elevation areas near Kannapolis Lake and surrounding creeks, neighbors said. However, Daningburg and Ledbetter said Tuesday's flash flood was the worst they've seen in their four years of living there.
"It covered the road real fast and the water rose within minutes," Ledbetter described.
A city spokesperson told WCNC Charlotte an emergency shelter was opened at Fred Wilson Elementary in response to the flooding, but everyone found alternate accommodations so the shelter was able to close and no assistance was needed from the American Red Cross.
Several roads in Kannapolis were closed due to flooding. As of Wednesday, city officials said only W 22nd Street and Cadillac Street remained closed.
On Wednesday, the City of Kannapolis said they are working closely with Cabarrus County, N.C. Emergency Management, and other officials to access the homes on Tiffany Drive. Residents are being asked to evacuate due to unsafe conditions from damage to the homes.
City officials say that the Cabarrus County Building Inspections Department requested the power be shut off in the area due to safety concerns.
A city spokesperson said the homes have been located on the floodplain property prior to the incorporation of the City of Kannapolis in 1984.
Daningburg said she lives on a fixed income and has no other place to call home.
“Where we gonna move to cause a lot of us don’t have other places to go," Daningburg said.
The city says they are working to help residents with their short-term and long-term goals. The Red Cross and other local nonprofits are also assisting.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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