IDA: Rain soaks the east this Veterans Day

A rain-soaked Veterans Day across the east, showers continue to swamp parts of the state.

And this wet weather is only supposed to get worse later tonight with counties along the coast bearing the brunt of the storm.

Some areas could see up to 10 inches of rain.

Craven County has seen steady rain all day today, the heaviest rounds of rain earlier this afternoon.

That didn't stop people from trying to make the most out of the day off.

The rainfall may have dampered people's moods. "It's just soggy and nasty and kind of makes you want to go back to sleep," said Janet Maxey of New Bern.

But it didn't keep Maxey and her family inside.

They wanted to make the most of their holiday.

"We just came to get some food and get out of the rain," Maxey added.

The Frateses were hoping for better weather, too.

"We just moved to the area yesterday so we're just cruising around trying to get a feel for the area," said Aaron Frates of New Bern.

While they carried on with their day, the Department of Rransportation has been preparing for the worst.

Engineer Gordy Eure says they spent yesterday preparing for severe rainfall since they had today off.

That included focusing on what they call their hot spots in the county, like Glenburnie Road.

Workers cleared the curbs here. Eure says since there are so many trees along Glenburnie, pine straw piles high making it hard for the ground to absorb rainfall.

Eure says crews also made sure pipes were open for water to flow thru and made sure equipment and storm grates were in good condition.

It's all in an effort to make sure the community can handle the worst of storms.

The rain continues to fall further inland too.

For instance, the city of Greenville has already had heavy rain in the last 24 hours. Like everywhere else in the east, you can expect more overnight.

The rains have caused some streams and creeks to creep up closer to their banks.

Showers kept people off the roads in Jacksonville today.

More than five inches of rain has already fallen in Onslow County and another one to two inches is possible.

The county says roads near North Topsail Beach and in Jacksonville are covered in water.

Folks in Charlotte are dealing with high water and heavy rains as well.

As much as four inches of rain has already fallen in the area since Midnight.

Flash flood warnings are up, flooding shut down several roads in Mecklenburg County and places nearby.

Wet weather can make for a dangerous drive if you have to head out.

Nine is On Your Side, keeping you safe on the streets.

Don't drive into standing water. You don't know how deep it will be and it only takes a few inches to get you stuck or swept away.

Reduce your speed. Fast spinning tires and slick roads could turn treacherous.

And watch out for leaves and other debris in the roads. They could decrease your traction. In fact, you can skid like you're on ice.