“It's important to note we're still in a state of emergency,” Public Works Director Larry Chalker said this afternoon. “The event is not over. There is still rain in the forecast. People need to be observant and not lower their guard.”

With the amount of rainfall the storm is expected to bring still an unknown, Chalker said it is important to heed reminders of not driving through roads which have become flooded.

Chalker said little has changed since his last report Thursday. “We're maintaining. We're continuing to monitor a couple of trouble spots. Other than that the storm drainage is doing a great job. There is a large concentration of rain and wind coming over Wilmington.”

Now everything becomes dependent on what Joaquin does. “It depends on how much more rain we get. The ground is saturated. The storm drainage is handling it. We've done a tremendous job of upgrading and repairing damages to our system. Everything is dependent on the actual hurricane. We are getting rain as a result of the hurricane. How fast and how much I can't tell you. We're going to monitor through the night with the police and fire departments.”

The Weather Channel reported this afternoon areas from the mid-Atlantic to the central Appalachians and the Carolinas appear to be the epicenter for the heaviest rainfall amounts.

Totals could exceed 5 inches in many locations, with some areas having the potential to see a foot of rain or more.

North Carolina Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry told the TV network the state can expect flooding in poor drainage spots and low-lying areas. "Regardless of the impact of Hurricane Joaquin, North Carolina has the potential for life-threatening flooding within the next week. We don’t know yet how much or how widespread the flooding will be, but we know there will be flooding.”