It’s no secret that Interstate 40 between Raleigh and Wilmington has been covered with floodwaters since Hurricane Florence hit.
But, crews got a surprise Saturday when they went to areas where the waters had receded and found — a highway covered in dead fish.
The Penderlea Fire Department had to hose down a stretch of I-40 on Saturday because of what appeared to be hundreds of dead fish that were left behind by the flooding.
“Well, we can add ‘washing fish off of the interstate’ to the long list of interesting things firefighters get to experience!” the fire department wrote on Facebook along with video of them washing away the fish.
The crews from the fire department in Willard worked along a stretch of I-40 in Pender County near Wallace.
The Northeast Cape Fear River is less than 2,000 feet from I-40 in areas near Wallace, according to maps.
“Hurricane Florence caused massive flooding in our area and allowed the fish to travel far from their natural habitat, stranding them on the interstate when waters receded,” the fire department wrote.
Interstate 40 was still closed as of Saturday along with more than 500 roads in North Carolina, officials said.
