Homeowners lament losses after flooding causes damage in Catawba County

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — Heavy rain across the North Carolina foothills is causing flooding at some homes near the Catawba River.

Owners said they’ve never seen the water rise this fast in such a short period of time.

James Robinette lost his camper and two vehicles overnight and had to swim to safety when the rising waters became too much.

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“Woke up at 3:30 in the morning, and it was under my camper,” he said. “Both of my vehicles are gone. My camper is gone.”

Mike Walsh owns a home in Lake Lookout Shoals. He said it didn’t take long for the water to rise up around his home Saturday night.

“A lot of the folks around here have lost furniture, floors, appliances -- all bad,” Walsh said. “At a quarter to eleven last night, I had just a touch of water in my yard. At quarter to twelve, my yard was covered.”

Catawba County is one of two counties in North Carolina to declare a state of emergency due to the flooding issues.

Cox Media Group