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An 85-year-old man who served in the US Navy in the 1950s died after contracting a bacterial infection as a result of Hurricane Florence, becoming the last of dozens of deaths related to the storm.
Ron Phelps was cleaning his garden a few days after Florence swept North Carolina when he accidentally cut his leg and developed a serious bacterial infection, reports WECT. Phelps, who lived near the Intracoastal Waterway in Wilmington, had contracted a rare bacterium that was found only in the seawater. The doctors then had to amputate his leg as the the infection progressed. Despite their efforts, Phelps died Tuesday.
The retired insurance agent was appreciated by many members of his community for the many stories he shared on the popular Facebook page he co-founded, Hometown Memories of Wilmington NC, where he published images classics of the region he called home. Thanks to Phelps, the page has been extended to thousands of members who have all agreed to get their dose of nostalgia. The page has not only brought the past back to the present, but has also helped the community get closer to each other.
"He really got the city together," his niece Paula Phelps Turner told Star News.
Cars are submerged as a result of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina
RELATED: See the most devastating photos in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence
Managing the social media page has become one of the many joys of Phelps' life. We could see him constantly updating and posting on Facebook.
"He loved this Facebook page and loved to see people happy," Phelps' son-in-law, Steve Shepard, told the publication. "He used his cell phone as a 15-year-old teenager."
Florence dumped more than 30 inches of rain on the area when it fell in mid-September.
In North Carolina, 39 people died from Florence and some of these deaths were attributed to the post-storm cleanup, Governor Roy Cooper's office announced.
Recently, a 47-year-old man was found dead outside a house on September 21 after falling off a ladder while he was repairing the damage caused by the storm, and a 69-year-old man died after falling from a roof while he was trying to clean up. As in the case of Phelps, others have also developed infections.
RELATED: A couple whose nuptial brides have been canceled because of Florence will now be in a city called "hurricane"
"Residents must wear appropriate gloves and protective clothing during storm cleaning, and wash cuts and scrapes carefully to prevent infection," said the governor's office.
In South Carolina, eight people were killed as part of the storm, as well as three in Virginia, according to CNN.
In both states, many deaths were caused by vehicles caught in floods, for example when two mentally ill patients in South Carolina drowned when the police vehicle in which they were being transported was washed away by police. flood waters.
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