Several individuals were rescued from the flood waters left behind by a record-setting rainfall event, a combination of a stalled frontal boundary and the renaments of Tropical Storm Nicole.

Five days of rainfall resulted in area streams, creeks and rivers flooding their banks. The result was flooded homes and roads.

Two of the most dramatic rescues occurred Friday morning, both on NC 561 East (Harrellsville Highway).

A motorist, whose vehicle was swept off Bear Swamp bridge, just east of Godwin Town Road was found after hours of searching.  The unnamed motorist was pulled from the fast moving water by a private boat. She was taken by vehicle to Bethlehem Church where she was awaiting transport to Bertie Memorial Hospital.

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter was also involved in the search.

That same helicopter was used to rescue a motorist stranded in a stalled vehicle at Chickapin Creek, east of Bear Swamp. There, the motorist was reported to be standing in knee-deep water on top of the submersed vehicle. The Coast Guard rescuers plucked the motorist from the top of the vehicle and transported him to dry ground where he was taken from the scene by a private vehicle.

Firefighters from Harrellsville and Powellsville were on opposite sides of the flooded road to provide assistance.

Also on Friday, the helicopter was used to rescue a stranded motorist at the Wiccacon River bridge on Thomas Bridge Road.

Other Hertford County rescue events, as reported by EMS and the Sheriff’s Office, included:

Thursday, Sept. 30 – two adults removed, by boat, from a flooded car; and four children and three adults rescued from a flooded residence in Cofield;

Friday, Oct. 1 – Two adults rescued from Wiccacon area residence.

Several rescue efforts took place Thursday night in Bertie County. There, emergency response personnel, using rescue boats, braved the dark night and fast-moving water to save two motorists stranded on Hoggard Mill Road near Windsor.

Residents on Toby Lane near Windsor, the Longbranch area of Colerain and the Edgewood area north of Windsor also found themselves at the mercy of the fast-rising water and were rescued.

Emergency shelters are open in both Bertie and Hertford counties. For shelter information, call the Emergency Management office at 794-5303 (Windsor) or 358-7861 (Winton).