TAR HEEL — The Cape Fear River has fluctuated levels at the W.O. Huske Lock, but a clear pattern of going down has not yet been established.

The river’s peak thus far is 70.51 feet, set at 1:45 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. It was slightly lower 15 minutes later; it still has a forecast high of 70.8 feet, with the time at midnight.

At Elizabethtown, the river was at 41.35 feet at 2:45 p.m. It has not had a dip in levels yet, and is forecast to hit 41.5 feet Thursday.

The record high at the Huske lock is 75.5 feet in 1945. When Hurricane Matthew came through in October 2016, the high reading was 68.46 feet on Oct. 10.

The record high at the Elizabethtown measuring point is 43.2 feet in 1945. When Matthew hit the area, what was the fourth-highest mark of 36.44 was established.

In morning readings, the Huske measured 70.22 feet at 9 a.m. and Elizabethtown was at 40.91 feet at 8:45 a.m.

The National Weather Service said, through 2 p.m. Monday, the preliminary rainfall total for Elizabethtown was 35.93 inches. That’s the most of any community on its list of measurements. Swansboro was next with 34 inches.

The NWS office in Wilmington released more localized totals Wednesday morning, showing Elizabethtown at 35.93 inches, Turnbull Creek-Bladen Lakes at 23.67 inches and the Cape Fear River Lock and Dam No. 1 at 22.21 inches.

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Chrysta Carroll and Alan Wooten

Bladen Journal

Chrysta Carroll can be reached at 910-862-4163 or ccarroll@bladenjournal.com. Alan Wooten can be reached at 910-247-9132 or awooten@bladenjournal.com.