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This is the reality in large areas of eastern North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Florence.
As cities struggle to cope with flooding of homes and buildings, power outages and stranded residents, what remains of Florence is dragging northward, pouring heavy rain into the southern Appalachians on Monday morning.
The storm has already killed at least 18 people, trapped hundreds of people and made parts of northern and South Carolina impassable – but the authorities say the worst floods are yet to come.
Additional rainfall of 2 to 5 inches, with localized amounts greater than 8 inches, is possible from central to southeastern North Carolina on Monday, said Michael Guy, a meteorologist at CNN.
The rain will bring a high risk of mud and landslide in the mountains of western North Carolina, but this will decrease during the day, he added.
"The problem for the Carolinas is that the floods continue for the rest of the week, and all the rain that falls on the east side of the Appalachians in the central parts of the state has to go somewhere," he added. "This water will flow downstream to the areas already affected by the heavy rains of Florence, so it will take time for the rivers to retreat."
Guy said the North Carolina rivers, including Neuse, Trent and Cape Fear, would stay above and close to record flood levels until the end of the week, compounding the flooding problems already experienced. over the last weekend.
The National Weather Service, in a Sunday night update, said the storm continues to produce "abundant and locally excessive rains" in parts of the Carolinas and Virginia.
At the end of the storm, up to 40 inches will fall in southeastern North Carolina and the northeastern tip of South Carolina, according to the NWS. Other parts of the Carolinas will be left with up to 20 inches of rain.
The remains of the storm will hit the northeast
The mountainous regions of southern Virginia may also experience floods and be exposed to mud and landslides due to heavy rains in Florence on Monday, Guy said.
The rain is expected to move from northern North Carolina to Virginia, from Danville to Charlottesville, he added. The rest of the storm will then progress to the Ohio Valley, affecting areas of West Virginia to western Pennsylvania.
"By Tuesday, the remains of Florence will be pushed to the northeast where areas of northern Pennsylvania across central New York towards Boston could absorb heavy rains," said Guy. He added that these areas could see 2 to 5 inches of rain or more as well as flash floods.
The lights and roads are closed through the Carolinas
About 532,338 customers in North Carolina and 61,000 in South Carolina do not have the power. But the number of people without electricity is much higher, since only one customer can represent an entire family.
"We do not run"
Sunday afternoon, the river had reached almost 24 feet and was set up at the end of the day or Monday morning around 25.7 feet. If the river exceeds 26 feet, "all bets are open," said the city's deputy public works director, Corey Walters.
A family that has weathered the storm in a group of houses on the outskirts of Lumberton is content to leave his fate in the hands of God. "I just feel comfortable staying in. We have our dogs and our property so we stay," said Kenan Chance, 57.
Their homes are still damaged by Matthew, but they have survived, family members said. Whether they stay or leave, they will have problems to overcome.
His father, 84-year-old Rembert Walters, said that if his relatives scattered in different paradises, he would spend all his time worrying about it.
"We will not move until this problem is solved, it will destroy or kill us, or we will bury it, or something like that," he said as the water spread its porch. "Because we do not run every time this thing has happened."
Betty Walters says she has unhealthy health issues in a shelter. "It's better for us to stay at home," she said. "I have confidence in the Lord, He has calmed the waters and will take care of us."
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said it was not too late to go to an emergency shelter. More than 15,000 people are staying in 150 emergency shelters. And if these refuges fill up, he said, the state will open more.
A number of shelters also welcome pets, which are also exposed to the rising waters.
Independent reporter Marcus DiPaola tweeted that he had been involved in the rescue of six dogs in Leland, North Carolina, after being locked in an outer cage.
"We took them out, but by the time we left, the water was so high that they would have drowned, Bring your animals with you! #HurricaneFlorence," he wrote.
Wilmington is basically cut
The coastal city of Wilmington, North Carolina, which has 117,000 inhabitants, is so submerged that no one can get in – not even humanitarian workers carrying fuel and essential supplies.
FEMA crews and company trucks were sacked on Saturday night due to flooding, said Mayor Bill Saffo.
Pender County, located north of Wilmington, is also running out of fuel, said Commissioner Jackie Newton. Near the community of Wards Corner in this county, US 421 was a virtual lake, with waters slamming houses on either side, a video of a CNN crew.
The North Carolina Attorney General's Office has received over 500 complaints of price abuse, including for hotel rooms, gasoline and water. The authorities launched investigations.
Causes of death include electrocution and fallen trees
Death toll in Florence rose on Sunday, authorities say 18 deaths were linked to the storm:
– A three-month-old baby died after a tree fell on a mobile home in Dallas, North Carolina.
– A man died when his truck struck a support beam on Interstate 20 in Kershaw County, South Carolina.
– A man drowned in a spilled vehicle on a flooded road in Georgetown County, South Carolina.
– Three people died in flash floods or white water on the roads of Duplin County, North Carolina
– Two people died in a storm-related fire in Cumberland County, North Carolina
– A mother and a child were killed when a tree fell on their home in Wilmington, North Carolina
– Two people died of carbon monoxide poisoning in Horry County, South Carolina.
– A woman from South Carolina died after hitting a fallen tree while she was driving.
– A woman suffered a heart attack in Hampstead, Pender County, North Carolina. When rescuers tried to reach her, their path was blocked by fallen trees.
– Another person died in Pender County, according to the county's director of emergency management. No details were immediately available.
– A man was killed while he was watching his dogs in Lenoir County, North Carolina.
– Another man from Lenoir County was electrocuted while trying to connect two extensions.
– An 81-year-old man fell and hit his head while he was packing to evacuate in Wayne County, North Carolina.
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