1 person is dead after driving into Debby floodwaters in Lumberton

LUMBERTON, N.C. (WTVD) -- A person is dead after driving into floodwaters Saturday in Lumberton.

Lumberton Rescue and EMS wrote on social media that a driver was swept away after driving through floodwater on Old Whiteville Road near the county line. The road was and is still closed in both directions due to flooding caused by Tropical Storm Debby.

"It bears repeating. Never drive into flooded roadways and obey road closed signage," Lumberton Rescue and EMS said on Facebook.

This is the third reported death in North Carolina due to Debby.

A man in Wilson County died Thursday after his house was damaged by a tornado. A 78-year-old woman died after a tree fell on her mobile home in Rockingham County.

Debra Locklear is one of the many homeowners in the area worried about the pending recovery. She said her neighborhood was already hit hard by Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. Then, in April, her home caught fire. She's been staying at a temporary home on Prather Drive since then -- and now that road flooded.

"It's kind of stressful because you've got grandchildren and everything and they're not wanting to stay, and you're really not wanting to leave and go anywhere because financial wise too is one thing," She said.

Locklear also said she's apprehensive about having her family stay in a shelter. The city's emergency services say the fire department, utilities and first responders are all on standby, monitoring the conditions.

"It's going to crest a little. The peak should be around 8 'O' clock tonight so that's what we're kind of hoping for. And if the peak happens then we can kind of keep the water down without a bunch of rain and it recedes and I think it would be the best that we can hope for right now," said Tammy McLeod, the 911 director for the City of Lumberton.

Emergency Management here in Lumberton is encouraging anyone to evacuate the area if they're concerned they could be hit by flooding.