Rain renews fears of being trapped for neighbors along washed out road

IRON STATION, N.C. — A fear has been renewed for some neighbors in Lincoln County. They’re worried a giant hole will reopen in a road, once again trapping their neighborhood on the other side.

It was just two weeks ago that torrential rain washed out Amity Lane in the town of Iron Station. Now, neighbors are worried this week’s showers will do it again.

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Emergency crews built a walking bridge to replace the road that was there, but that temporary path may be in jeopardy. Neighbors say rain is starting to undermine the ground supporting it, and the path below where some cars can cross can easily flood.

The washout two weeks ago was the second in 10 years. Each time, 26 families were stranded.

Amity Lane washout A fear has been renewed for some neighbors in Lincoln County. They’re worried a giant hole will reopen in a road, once again trapping their neighborhood on the other side.

Debbie Howell said the fix this time around wasn’t much, but it allowed people on Amity Lane to drive in and out of a dead-end road.

Monica Creel said the creek under the makeshift road is backed up to the top of the pipes on one side. She said on the other side, the pipes can’t push water out fast enough.

“People are scared that the water is going to wash out that little area,” she said.

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She and others are relying on that foot bridge that crews installed.

Creel took a long walk at 3 a.m. to get to her car, which was parked on the other side of the bridge. She and others told Channel 9′s Ken Lemon the ground supporting the bridge appears to be crumbling.

“If that bridge collapses, that means I could lose my job,” she said.

Emergency officials said they are aware of the problem and they are watching to make sure the bridge, which allows them to respond to emergencies, remains in place. But because Amity Lane is a private road, they can’t rebuild it. That’s up to the people who live there.

“This is ridiculous,” Howell said.

Neighbors said some builders have offered to rebuild the road, but the cost would be $60,000. That’s $50,000 more than they have after launching a fundraiser online.

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