PINETOPS, N.C. (WNCN) -- Crews in Edgecombe County rescued more than 40 people trapped in flooded areas during Tropical Storm Debby, officials said Friday night.
The initial evacuations came on Thursday as Debby first hit. Nine people were evacuated from homes in the Rocky Mount area while two people were evacuated from houses in the Macclesfield area, according to a news release from Edgecombe County.
On Friday, as floodwaters kept rising, there were homes that were flooded in the areas of Temperance Hall, Faith Baptist Church Road, N.C. 111/122 and Bynum Farm Road, officials said.
On Friday alone, there were 31 people evacuated from flooding from the Bynum Farm Road area near Pinetops, the news release said.
Bynum Farm Road in the Pinetops area was also flooded in November 2020 when 22 people were also evacuated.
Also on Friday, 15 animals were evacuated to higher ground as crews checked 50 homes the same day.
High lift vehicles from South Edgecombe Rural Fire Department, Macclesfield Fire Department, the North Carolina Forestry Service and Edgecombe County Emergency Services were used in the evacuations.