Arks could be in order if Mother Nature keeps dumping heavy rains on the area like she has the last few weeks, most especially last week and this week.

Talking to people just 30 minutes south of here, they say the rains haven’t been nearly as frequent or heavy there as what this area has experienced.

Between Holly Springs and Longhill communities along Old U.S. 52 South, the rain last week was very damaging, causing bridges to be no longer usable and personal property to be destroyed or heavily damaged. In one case, horses had to be rescued from their barn by the owners.

As the rain began to fall heavily again Sunday night into Monday morning, those who live in those neighborhoods were holding their breaths that no worse damage would occur. The creeks were still running muddy and higher than normal before this week’s rains even hit, since the ground is just so saturated that it can’t handle any more moisture for a while.

Luckily, the rains eased up enough in that neighborhood that no more floods were seen, while the heavy rained stayed north in the Mount Airy area.

Water, especially moving water, is an awesome thing to admire, but it is extremely dangerous and should be admired with the utmost respect and distance.

There is a reason emergency officials caution people not to ever drive in flood waters, and when those flood waters are occurring in the darkness of night, it is even harder to read the depth and strength of the water.

Last week, one car that tried to cross through a flooded road stalled out and had to be pulled to a dry place in the road.

Being extra cautious is the best thing for those facing a flooded area, and being very aware of one’s surroundings when approaching bridges, culverts and other places water might creep up and surprise travelers and onlookers.

Hopefully, the wet weather is nearing a slower period as summer months quickly approach, but please take care as this week and next area waterways still remain high and the ground filled to the brim.

Wendy Byerly Wood is the associate editor of The Mount Airy News. She can be reached at wbyerly-wood@heartlandpublications.com or at 719-1923.