With at least 32 deaths linked to the flooding and high winds caused by Hurricane Florence and its aftermath, North Carolina remained in a state of crisis Tuesday as officials tried to battle floodwaters that kept rising.
Wilmington, North Carolina, remained largely isolated by flooding, while more than half a million people were without power, CBS reported.
“Any direction you try coming into the city, from 20 to 40 miles out, roads are impassable,” Mayor Bill Saffo said, CNN reported. “Anyone trying to get in here — don’t try. You will be turned away. Highway Patrol won’t let you.”
“This a monumental disaster for our state,” said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. “In many parts of North Carolina, the danger is still immediate.”
Cooper said that due to the days of rain dumped on the state, the “worst flooding yet” is still to come.
Cooper’s words echoed those of Mayor Mitch Colvin of Fayetteville, North Carolina, who on Saturday predicted, “The worst is yet to come,” The Guardian reported.
Here’s the unofficial, radar-estimated storm total rainfall from #Florence over all NC (actual gauge-measured amounts not included). Using the average rainfall over the state, Florence dropped about 8.04 TRILLION gallons of rain on NC. #ncwx pic.twitter.com/Y7nKsAoqMp
— NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) September 18, 2018
Some parts of North Carolina received almost three feet of rain.
Although the Carolinas were drenched by rain from the storm, its passage through Virginia was marked by tornadoes. One person was reported killed in the state.
“Flooding is still going to be a concern into the weekend and into next week,” said Hal Austin, a National Weather Service meteorologist, according to CNBC.
Boat seen stuck in trees as helicopter survey shows damage left after #Florence hit the area of Raleigh, North Carolina. https://t.co/xDl3JJezim pic.twitter.com/DSyzemeSG2
— ABC News (@ABC) September 18, 2018
Austin said more rain may fall on the Carolinas Tuesday and Wednesday.
“No more water, not even a drop, please,” he said.
Florence left the Carolinas and Virginia behind Tuesday as it moved north.
Numerous flash flood watches issued across the Northeast as remnants of #Florence make their way into the region. https://t.co/LPVZ9exVxt pic.twitter.com/teJ3rQx6uT
— ABC News (@ABC) September 18, 2018
The storm was expected to drop six inches of rain on parts of New England and the mid-Atlantic on Tuesday, with flash flood watches posted across parts of New England and New York. Parts of New York State’s Erie Canal were closed in anticipation of flooding, NYUpstate reported.
The storm’s impacts may be felt other places as well.
“Not only are you going to see more impact across North Carolina … but we’re also anticipating you are about to see a lot of damage through West Virginia, all the way up to Ohio as the system exits out,” Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long said Sunday, according to Fox News.
Via WesternJournal
