Hurricane Matthew slams the coast with rain, intense winds

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Hurricane Matthew brought storm surge, heavy rains, and intense winds to the North Carolina Coast Saturday.

Oak Island lost its famous pier to the intense pounding of the surf.

Click here for ABC11 First Alert Doppler Hurricane Tracker

The National Guard has deployed 11 troops to Brunswick County, where emergency officials say storm surge, flooding, and debris are all problems caused by Hurricane Matthew.

Our ABC11 crew was in downtown Wilmington near Riverfront which was completely under water. At the beaches near Wilmington, they were reports of waves as high as 10 to 13 feet, some going over the piers.

The Daily News of Jacksonville reports (http://bit.ly/2dIHAR5) troops staged in Bolivia, Calabash and Leland, along with high-water clearance vehicles placed at each location.

The N.C. State Highway Patrol has also sent more troopers, with two squads from Greensboro supplementing the county's forces.

Reports of flooding along U.S. 17 between U.S. 211 and Shallotte came in shortly after a briefing with county emergency services ended Saturday morning.

The University of North Carolina-Wilmington announced that classes will be cancelled Monday. They had ordered a mandatory evacuation for students earlier in the week.