Coastal town in North Carolina warns: ‘Smoke might rise from the ground in your yard’

One of North Carolina’s popular beach destinations is warning people they could see suspicious streams of smoke pouring out in coming days, including from grass in their yards.

Morehead City posted the warning on Facebook on Tuesday and said the clouds of smoke will start appearing the next several days near Calico Bay.

The smoke will be rising from the sewers and is “non-toxic,“ they said. However, it is evidence of a problem.

“Smoke is (being) introduced into a manhole and forced down the sewer lines with the use of an air blower,” the town’s post said.

“Smoke will escape from the system where there is an open break in the line. Smoke might rise from the ground in your yard, manhole lids, vents on house roofs, cleanouts and from underneath houses if poor plumbing exists.“

The goal is to find areas where rainwater and ground water are entering the sewer system, officials said.

Morehead City is a town of about 9,000 people along the Bogue Sound, about 160 miles southeast of Raleigh.

Town officials announced the test days after a nor’easter brought widespread flooding to coastal areas, resulting in beach erosion and roads that remain covered in sand on the Outer Banks.

North Carolina’s coastal communities have a history of water and sewer issues that result in strange warnings.

In October, Surf City residents were warned to avoid washing their clothes for a week as crews conducted a “directional flush of the hydrants and waterlines.” The exercise was intended to flush excess iron from the water lines, which could result in staining clothes, officials said.

This story was originally published November 20, 2019 at 7:07 AM with the headline "Coastal town in North Carolina warns: ‘Smoke might rise from the ground in your yard’."