By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

ROWAN COUNTY — Heavy spring rains have prompted a flood warning in Rowan in effect until 6:30 p.m and a flood watch until 8 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Officials say rain is expected to be heavy at times this afternoon, with northeast winds around 13 to 15 mph and gusts as high as 26 mph.

This morning there were a number of minor incidents that were reported due to flooding throughout the county. As of noon the Franklin Township area reported four and a half inches of rain.

According to Frank Thomason, emergency services director, some pastures flooded and there was at least one weather-related crash.

A car ran off the road at 6:15 a.m. and overturned into a ditch in the 2100 block of Graham Road. The driver was not injured. Thomason said  a low place in the road had excessive water, but the road was not flooded.

In the 1300 block of Emmanuel Church Road, someone reported cattle stranded in a pasture. Members of the Rowan County and Rescue Squad helped get the cattle to wade through the water and move along, Thomason said. The incident took place around 7:45 a.m., he said.

The rain also affected animals stuck in a pasture around 10 a.m. at 7th Street and Hawkinstown Road. The owners moved them across a couple feet of water with help from the Rowan County Rescue Squad to make sure it was done safely, he said.

About a dozen trees have been reported down across the county, Thomason said. Essentially the foliage is saturated and it doesn’t take much wind to uproot a tree.

“There’s nothing to hold it in the ground, then it just comes over,” he said.

The streets were blocked earlier this morning, but have since been cleared.

No significant power outages have been reported, Thomason said.

“Because streams are already saturated, any more significant rainfall has the potential of causing flash floods locally,” he said.

He said emergency crews are watching longterm rainfall in the northwest part of the state, which could affect Rowan. The South Yadkin River goes across Davie, Yadkin and Wilkes counties, flows into the Yadkin River and runs downstream to High Rock Lake.

No significant power outages were reported.