FRANKLIN
Franklin has received a total of 5.44 inches of rain over the past four days, resulting in the closing of U.S. Route 58 East, Delaware Road, and both Isle of Wight and Southampton County school districts on Thursday. However, according to the National Weather Service, the worst of the deluge should be over.

“We’re not expecting a whole lot of additional rain, probably an average of another quarter inch,” said Larry Brown, a forecaster with the National Weather Service’s Wakefield station.

Brown warned that the Blackwater and Nottoway rivers will likely continue to rise since the water has nowhere else to go at the moment, but so far no flood watches or warnings have been reported for either river.

According to Brown, the four-day deluge was the result of a remnant of Tropical Storm Julia, creating a low-pressure system along the coast of North and South Carolina. North Carolina experienced more than 10 inches of rain, causing significant flooding and numerous road closures.

Southampton County received an average of 5.6 inches total rainfall with significantly higher numbers being reported in Hunterdale at 8.9 total inches. Isle of Wight County received an average of 4.6 inches total rainfall, with higher numbers being reported toward the south and southwest communities.