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Now a post-tropical cyclone, Florence has killed 32 people, trapped hundreds of others and cut down a city, officials said. Residential streets have turned into rivers and highways have become waterways dotted with lifeboats. And the storm continues to wreak havoc.
"It's a monumental disaster for our state," said Governor of North Carolina Roy Cooper on Monday. "This is an epic storm that is still going on because the rivers continue to rise."
"There will be floods like never before"
In addition to floods in the Carolinas, flash flood warnings were in effect Monday night in parts of the extreme south of Virginia, where several tornadoes were confirmed Monday by storm watchers. One of these tornadoes hit Chesterfield County south of Richmond, causing a collapse of the building that killed a person.
In North Carolina, residents are gradually being allowed to return home in some areas. Tuesday morning, residents of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina – where Florence has landed – will be allowed to return to the island, and the mandatory evacuation of Craven County will be lifted. But officials have warned that houses and roads are still not accessible and that people trying to return must be extremely cautious.
A dam erupted Monday night in Lilesville, south central Carolina, causing evacuations.
In addition, approximately 488,551 customers in North Carolina and 16,385 in South Carolina still have no electricity. But the number of people without electricity is much higher, since only one customer can represent an entire family.
Emergency workers carried out at least 1,000 white water rescues in North Carolina on Monday, but many other people need help. And those who are trapped in flood waters can also be without electricity for days.
"We do not want evacuees to come in. There are too many things," said Cooper.
Pender County, just north of Wilmington, is also running out of fuel, said Commissioner Jackie Newton.
Evacuees lose cars trying to get food for flood victims
Wilmington evacuated James Ammons can not take a break.
He just moved to Wilmington a few weeks ago and has already lost his car in the storm, he said.
"The reason I lost my car was because there was a girl who had not eaten and I wanted to feed her," Ammons said.
He tried to find security in an emergency shelter, but he was inundated. So he went to another emergency shelter – but that too was submerged.
"I went to three shelters right now," Ammons told CNN.
He said that stress is great for evacuees who do not know how damaged their homes are. But he said that perspective is important.
"You must be grateful for what you have now."
The river threatens to swallow Lumberton … again
The river should reach about 25.7 feet. If the price exceeds 26 feet, "all bets are open," said the city's deputy public works director, Corey Walters.
Already, floodwaters at Lumberton have engulfed Bill Kozak's home.
"I'm 5 9 9" and I got to the top of my chest in a lot of areas, "Kozak said.
He stated that he was frustrated to have faced two floods caused by a hurricane in two years.
"We have the impression that nothing has been done to prevent this from happening," Kozak said.
After repairing the flood damage in Florence, Kozak said he and his family were leaving Lumberton.
"Bring your pets with you!"
Some residents said that they had decided to stay because many shelters do not accept pets. But those who left without their pets were confronted by the anger of passers-by and social media users.
Independent reporter Marcus DiPaola tweeted that he had helped save six dogs in Leland, North Carolina, after being locked in an outdoor cage.
"We took them out, but by the time we left, the water was so high that they would have drowned, put your animals with you!" he wrote.
Causes of death include drowning and fallen trees
Of the deaths related to Florence, 25 were in North Carolina, six in South Carolina and one in Virginia. They understand:
– Kaiden Lee-Welch, a year old, was swept away Sunday by the waters and found dead in Union County, North Carolina.
– Still in Union County, the body of an elderly man was found by his submerged car.
– A three-month-old child who died when a tree fell on a mobile home in Dallas, North Carolina.
– A man who died when his truck struck a support beam on Interstate 20 in Kershaw County, South Carolina.
Where the remains of Florence will go next
The storm is expected to move north through the Charlottesville, Virginia area, before heading to the Ohio Valley, striking West Virginia and western Pennsylvania.
On Tuesday, "the remains of Florence will be pushed north-east, where areas of northern Pennsylvania through central New York to Boston could receive heavy rainfall,"
Kaylee Hartung from CNN reported from Wilmington, and Cassie Spodak reported from Lumberton. Chuck Johnston, Spencer Parlier, Judson Jones and CNN Artemis Moshtaghian also contributed to this report.
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