Flooding rains in Lincoln County occurred at 'hurricane rates', catching local authorities off guard

Flooding rains in Lincoln County occurred at 'hurricane rates', catching local authorities off guard

LINCOLNTON, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- Intense storms battered Lincolnton Wednesday night, but no emergency alerts were sent to the phones of people in the area.  Mark Howell, Lincoln County’s Emergency Management coordinator, says four to five feet of water quickly pooled in some parts of town.  He monitored it all from the county’s Emergency Operations Center. The rain was powerful enough that Howell prepared swift-water rescue boats to respond…