CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Doral Apartments area on Monroe Road is one of the most flood-prone areas in Charlotte, and it is so bad there, swift-water rescues have been launched.
About 300 families have been taken out of harm's way at the Doral Apartments as Hurricane Matthew approaches.
"The last time there was a flood we had to move all of the cars out of here because they wouldn't start,” resident Asa Adams said. “It was very hectic."
Crews will be all around the city Wednesday and Thursday making sure storm drains are clear, Mark Boone, at Charlotte Storm Water Services, said.
"Hurricane Matthew is a definite threat to this area," Boone said.
The biggest threat from Hurricane Matthew in Charlotte will be heavy rain from the tropical rain-bands that rotate onshore.
The city should be able to handle it with drains that can handle about 1 or 2 inches an hour.
Wind will complicate conditions, as leaves and limbs are fragile from this year’s dry weather.
A steady wind of 25 mph could knock them down, and they might wind up clogging drains.
"With big storms like this with Matthew, it's not just the hurricane itself," Boone said.
Boone wants everybody to be on the lookout for clogged drains.
"Anything more than 2 inches of rain an hour and we could be looking at trouble," Boone said.
Crews are trying to build more wetlands in the area to soak in rainfall, but with Hurricane Matthew moving towards the Carolinas, it may be too late.
They've made a lot of progress with wetlands, but they still flood pretty quickly and are among the city's biggest concerns with this hurricane.