ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Elizabeth City saw some on-and-off showers Thursday morning, and the rainfall continued well into the afternoon and early evening. The roads are slick with steady rainfall, but the head of Pasquotank and Camden County emergency management knows this is normal.
"We're we're right on the water. So it's going to happen, especially when it drops a lot of rain," Brian Parnell said.
Parnell, who heads up the EMA for both counties, wants people to remember to stay safe on the roads, but there is help if they need it.
"We have a few boats. One here in Elizabeth City that belongs to the fire department," Parnell said. "The other one is at the sheriff's office in Camden County."
Parnell said they keep an eye on certain low-lying spots in the city.
"We got the waterfront down here at Water Street. It's named that for a reason," Parnell said.
Residents like Sarah Sabino are sick of the rain. Last week, the city was slammed with a downpour that flooded parts of downtown and the waterfront. Sabino said the recent storms have damaged her backyard and neighborhood.
With the recent downpours, Sabino has seen a few moments that have caught her eye.
"A couple of weeks ago, one of our cherry trees blew down. We also lost our birdhouse and the golf course behind our house -- half the trees down there," she said.
When driving around town, it's easy to notice the pools of water that are larger than others. For Sabino, she said it's just a matter of using common sense when you're driving.
"Just don't go down the roads that are flooded, basically," she said, laughing.
Parnell left residents of Elizabeth City with one simple -- but important message for drivers on the road: "Really, the biggest thing is turn around, don't drown."
If there is any benefit, the recent storms have taken care of the dry spell the area went through earlier this summer.