Now, potholes are popping up everywhere, and we can expect an even bigger outbreak this year, thanks to the thaw and freeze pattern, which creates small cracks in the roads.
Then during rain or snow events, water seeps into those cracks. As temperatures dip below freezing, ice forms, causing the pavement to expand.
When temperatures warm up, the ice melts, and the water evaporates, leaving even larger cracks in the roads.
NCDOT Spokesperson Steve Abbott says identifying the weak spots can help prevent more holes from forming.
"We go out and check those and what we can do, we can seal those, just put a sealant down before the pothole forms, since the cracks are what starts the pothole process," said Abbott.
Drivers can help fix the problems.
"Give us a location. You know, you might say there's a pothole on Smith Road and it's 10 miles long," said Abbott. "It doesn't help. If you say there's a pothole five blocks past or five miles past Jones Road, we can go out and take care of it."
ABC11 is making it easy to report potholes.
Click here to report new issues, and also review the ones already submitted.
Local governments will then receive your request and work to repair the issue.
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