NOAA/NASA via AP
- A Charlotte, North Carolina, TV reporter narrowly escaped the vicious flash flooding in North Carolina, reporting live, inches away from a section of a bridge that collapsed underneath her.
- According to local authorities, historic flash floods and at least 6 inches of rain have led to a high number of evacuations and at least six deaths.
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Amber Roberts, a TV reporter for local North Carolina station WJZY, narrowly avoided a collapsing bridge underneath her while reporting live on the historic flash floods gripping the western Carolinas on Thursday.
Standing on a bridge in Hiddenite, Alexander County, North Carolina, the news report and viral clip began by panning out to the sides of the bridge, showing the flash foods engulfing streets. As the bridge starts to collapse, she yells “Ok this is INCREDIBLY SCARY.”
—Amber Roberts (@AmberFOX46) November 13, 2020
As the camera pans back to the broken segment of the bridge, Roberts continues, “Ok we are backing up, just right here, on live TV, we saw the road collapse. We’re backing up, we’re backing up.”
Roberts and her crew backed away to safety, and she is now being lauded for her courageous live reporting. At least 6 inches of rain have caused heavy flash flooding across North Carolina, leaving at least six dead and prompting over 100 calls for evacuation to local firefighters, officials said.
The heavy rains are linked to Tropical Storm Eta, the 28th tropical storm of the year, which has also devastated areas in Florida with high winds and flooding before heading inland, according to the Associated Press.