Emergency officials are breathing a sigh of relief after the Yadkin River crested below anticipated flood levels.
The Yadkin crested around 5 a.m. on Monday at 17.8 feet in Elkin. The river is slowly going down, and the National Guard has demobilized out of the area.
Chris Bolden, the Operations Manager for Yadkin County Emergency Services, says they will continue to monitor the river for any changes.
“We are kind of at a vulnerable time because for some reason even though we don't predict it, let's say that rain is to pick up again, we have a lot of saturation around here, so it wouldn't take that much to actually bring this river back up,” says Bolden. “We are all still kind of remaining vigilant with the weather in next seven days or so.”
Guy Spiher from Kernersville stopped at the U.S. 421 River Park near Lewisville to take a closer look at the swollen waterway. He loves to kayak on the Yadkin, but knows it might be a while.
“Look at all of the logs and trees coming down the river building up under the bridge. The water has probably come up six inches on the shoreline since I've been here. Given the color of the water, you can't see the rocks under the surface or even a drop off.”
Yadkin County Emergency Services says people should stay off the river for several days because of the debris and high water.
According to the National Weather Service, the Yadkin River at Elkin reached a record level in August 1940. That's when it reached a stage of 37.5 feet.
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