Raeford Brown: Daily Rain and Opinion

Goodness. A couple days of some IN-tense rain, huh? Double digit amounts dumped all over eastern North Carolina this week, likely bringing an end to the drought. Or, maybe not. From what I've seen, a LOT of that rain has run off, and continues to run off, into streams, creeks and rivers.

That's a picnic table in the foreground. It's under about three feet of water.

Tideline Marine, in Jacksonville, is in a protected cove. Even with that, the water put a strain on the lines of a number of boats moored there. Owner Bill Tarplee said it wasn't as deep as it was with Hurricane Fran when the water was at least a foot or two deeper.

Pirate Attack (our boat) is actually moored to a dock that is submerged. The gas tank sets on top of that dock, giving you an idea of how deep the water is. Thank goodness for strong mooring lines and bilge pumps!

If you've been 'round these parts a long time, you'll remember when Elizabeth Ditch was actually a lake. A little political interference made it what it is today, an overgrown eyesore. Well, with the proper damming at Dewitt and Preston, and rains like we're had for a few days, we might even have the lake back. Complete with fish. Perhaps the Elizabeth Lake Garden Club from yester-year could help with another beautification program.

Their grandparents can remember when this ditch was full of water.

Let the rains fill 'er up.

Drivers, beware. There is a LOT of water on the roads. If you see standing water, you might want to turn around. The road could be washed out, and that standing water may be hiding a ditch!

Sometimes, there may not be a warning sign, and you should resort to common sense.

A by-product of high water in residential areas is oftentimes snakes. Watch where you walk, as snakes that normally reside in low lying, but relatively dry, areas, seek higher ground.