Millions face floods after ‘epic’ rainfall
Millions of Americans are facing ‘‘historic and unprecedented flooding’’ from record levels of rainfall as Florence continues to pummel the Carolinas, with the worst yet to come.
The death toll rose to 15 yesterday, with officials issuing more mandatory evacuation orders as the focus of the giant storm switched from the battered coast to communities near the region’s many inland waterways. About
800,000 people across two states were without power yesterday. Looting broke out in Wilmington, the coastal city that bore the brunt of Florence for three days, with two budget supermarkets targeted by residents.
More than 75cm of rain have fallen in North Carolina, according to the National Weather Service, smashing the state record of
61cm set during Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Several smaller towns in the area were under water yesterday, some by as much as 3m. In New Bern, on the confluence of two rivers, 455 residents were rescued by the authorities, helped by the so-called Cajun Navy, a loose group of about 1000 volunteers who brought their boats and inflatables to the region from Louisiana and Florida.
Florence has been since downgraded to a tropical depression yesterday. Even so, it is expected to dump 18 trillion gallons of water across the region as it travels north before eventually heading back out to sea at the end of the week. ‘‘This is a hurricane event followed by a flood event,’’ Henry McMaster, the governor of South Carolina, said.
Roy Cooper, his North Carolina counterpart, agreed. ‘‘This system is unloading epic amounts of rainfall, in some places measured in feet and not inches. I cannot overstate it: floodwaters are rising and if you are not watching for them, you are risking your life,’’ he said.
Among the victims was a 71-year-old man who died when he was blown over while checking on his dogs.
The worst-hit communities lay to the northeast of Wilmington. Dana Outlaw, mayor of New Bern, said that 4200 homes and more than 300 commercial buildings had suffered significant damage.