Florence pounds flooded Carolinas as death toll rises
Florence, the once-powerful hurricane that swept across the Carolinas in recent days, has prompted a widespread emergency across all of North Carolina, from the ocean east to mountain west. Floodwaters are expected to push many rivers to all-time highs and could spur life-threatening landslides as the storm’s remnants move west.
Authorities in North Carolina and South Carolina said Monday that at least 23 deaths have been blamed on the storm, a number that has steadily risen each day as rain has pounded the region and floodwaters have spread throughout both states.
The White House on Monday morning announced that President Donald Trump had approved a disaster
declaration for South Caro-
lina on Sunday, opening up federal funding for officials responding to the deluge caused by Florence. Trump similarly declared a disaster
in North Carolina on Friday, the day Florence made landfall.
Most of the deaths were confirmed in North Carolina, where Gov. Roy Cooper said that as of Monday morning, 17 people had died as a result of the storm.
“The crisis in North Carolina continues,” Cooper, a Democrat, said at a briefing Monday afternoon. “Catastrophic flooding and tornadoes are still claiming lives and property. For most parts of North Carolina, the danger is still immediate.”
South Carolina officials said they had confirmed six storm-related deaths there as of Monday afternoon.
North Carolina officials have not released details about all of the deaths linked to the storm, but grim information continued to emerge
about the lives lost. On Monday, the Union County sheriff’s office said that 1-yearold Kaiden Lee-Welch died after being swept away by floodwaters.
Sheriff’s office officials think that the child’s mother’s car was swept away after she passed around barricades and drove into rushing water; the mother was able to take the child out of the car seat but he was swept away, officials said.
Cooper said first responders have reported rescuing more than 2,600 people during the storm.
“I know people are eager to get back to work and get back to school,” he said. “Many of us are even seeing the sun for the first time in days . . . I urge you, if you don’t have to drive, stay off the road.”