18 TRILLION gallons of water
That’s what devastating Storm Florence will have dumped by the time it f inally peters out
DONALD TRUMP declared a state of emergency in North Carolina last night as ‘catastrophic’ floods caused by Hurricane Florence claimed at least eight lives and left a trail of devastation.
Winds of up to 145kph swirling 565km wide have ravaged North and South Carolina, downing trees and power lines and forcing more than a million people to flee. About 40in of rain fell in 24 hours.
One meteorologist predicted that Florence, which at its peak was rated a Category 4 hurricane, would dump an incredible 18trillion gallons of rainfall on the area by the time it finally peters out on Wednesday.
Emergency officials say they expect the death toll to rise and predict at least $1bn worth of damage. The president’s declaration will release government funds to help combat the disaster, described by experts as potentially the worst storm since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Mother Lesha Murphy-Johnson and her eight-week-old baby Zac died when a tree fell onto the roof of their home in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Firefighters who had frantically tried to lift the tree knelt in a circle to pray after it became apparent there was nothing more they could do to save them. In Lenoir County, a 78-year-old man was electrocuted when he tried to fix a generator. In Jacksonville, North Carolina, more than 60 people had to be rescued from a hotel that collapsed.
President Trump is expected to visit the region this week.