The search for two people presumed drowned resumes this morning in Alexander County.
As of 6pm Thursday, three bodies had been recovered after severe flooding at the Hiddenite Family Campground along the South Yadkin River.
At least 31 people were rescued from the flooding at the campground, most around 10 a.m., Alexander County Public Services Director Doug Gillispie said Thursday. There were three people transported to Iredell Memorial Hospital with cuts, bruises and minor injuries.
Still missing, an adult and a 1-year old child.
The question remains why was the campground not evacuated on Wednesday ? The area lies along the river and has experienced a number of flooding issues in the past but nothing can compare to what happened overnight Wednesday and Thursday morning. “The campground has been warned to evacuate in the case of severe weather, but the severity of Thursday’s flooding was unexpected” Alexander County Sheriff Chris Bowman said during a press conference Thursday afternoon.
In addition to the campground deaths, a person died during the storm in a car wreck on Hopewell Church Road. The accident was the result of a collapsed roadway. The North Carolina Highway Patrol has yet to release the name of the victim.
A Stony Point woman died in an Iredell County crash on Thursday. 23-year old Jaime Marie Batcher was killed while riding as a passenger in a vehicle traveling on North Carolina Highway 115. The driver also died. Neither of the victims were wearing seatbelts.
The following roadways are closed: Sulphur Springs (750 block and at Hill River Road), Berea Church Quincy Road (500 block), Ramie Mitchell Road (200 block), Cheatham Ford Road (1300 block), Rocky Face Church Road (1500 block), Macedonia Church Road (800 block), Hopewell Church Road (1100 block), and Millersville Road near Hwy. 16 South.