Published: October 11,2016
(MORE: How to Help Matthew's Victims)
The confirmed deaths include 17 in North Carolina; 12 in Florida; three in South Carolina; three in Georgia; and one in Virginia.
Communities from central Florida up through Virginia have been dealt problems ranging from substantial beach erosion and blackouts to uninhabitable homes and major flooding.
North Carolina
WWAY-TV reported parts of the Black River Basin were quickly sinking under the rising floodwaters, and officials ordered many residents in the area to leave Tuesday afternoon. Shelters were opened for anyone who didn't have a place to go, the report added.“The Black River is rising 3-5 inches per hour,” Emergency Management Director Tom Collins said in a Tuesday news release. “This is a mandatory evacuation. There are homes along the Black River that are already under water. Residents west of Moores Creek National Battlefield, including all roads connecting to Canetuck Road, need to leave their homes and businesses now.”
After Hurricane Matthew pulled away from North Carolina on Sunday, historic flooding has killed at least 17 people and prompted thousands of water rescues. In the town of Princeville, floodwaters from the Tar River forced the evacuation of the entire town.
On Monday, President Barack Obama declared emergencies in 31 counties hit hard by flooding.
According to Gov. Pat McCrory, 1,500 people became stranded in Lumberton on Monday as the Lumber River rose. People were reportedly stranded on roofs and rescues were carried out throughout the day, the governor said during a press conference Monday morning. Rescues were expected to continue Tuesday.
“North Carolina is resilient, our people are strong and we are going to get through this together,” McCrory said. “This storm is still impacting people in a big way. You have got to see it to believe all the devastation that has occurred.”
McCrory said more than 2,000 have been rescued in more than 600 rescue operations.
As floodwaters continued to rise, officials were also worried that a dam northwest of Fayetteville could fail, and some residents were ordered to evacuate.
The Woodlake Dam in Moore County was in danger of failing, according to WNCN.com, and residents downstream were being told to leave their homes. The dam failure could raise flooding in areas like Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base and Spring Lake, the report added. Officials said Monday the dam was holding, for now.
As the hurricane inundated an already saturated state, authorities continued to urge residents to remain vigilant and heed warnings.
"I cannot stress how serious an issue this hurricane could cause to North Carolina, not only in damaging structures but also risking human life,” McCrory said. He added that authorities are concerned that because the storm was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane, and residents would "let down their guard."
McCrory noted that "it's storms like these that have caused the most damage and loss of life."
(MORE: Hundreds of Water Rescues Reported in North Carolina)
Several rivers neared or surpassed flood stage levels, including Cape Fear River near Burgaw, Tar River at Greenville and Cashie River near Windsor. These rivers were expected to crest in the coming days.
Navy's game at East Carolina on Thursday night has been postponed to Nov. 19 because of the flooding.
Virginia
One storm-related death was reported in Virginia on Monday.Virginia Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Dawn Brantley said 38-year-old Anthony Longoria of Carsville was killed when his pickup truck rear-ended a tractor-trailer stopped for a downed tree on Interstate 64 in Chesapeake on Saturday.
Matthew's heavy rain pounded the Commonwealth overnight Sunday, resulting in flash floods that left roads impassable and some residents in need of rescue.
According to Department of Transportation officials, a large sinkhole opened up on Route 58 in Pittsylvania County on Saturday, which could take up to a week to reopen.
More than 37,000 customers remained without power in Virginia Tuesday afternoon, according to Dominion.
Virginia Beach, Norfolk under State of Emergency http://via.wtvr.com/eRilo via @CBS6
Florida
More than 1 million Florida customers lost power at the height of the storm, but those outages had been reduced to just over 65,000 statewide Monday evening.On Monday, Marchall Bailey, 89, was killed after reportedly touching a downed power line, becoming the third death in the state, according to WFTV.
Local officials confirmed the death of a 58-year-old St. Lucie County woman who suffered cardiac arrest overnight. The woman made an emergency call at 1:20 a.m. Friday after operations were suspended due to the hurricane. The identity of the woman has not been released. Two others, a couple, died in St. Lucie County from carbon monoxide poisoning after they ran a generator inside their garage, the county said in a Facebook post.
(MORE: Tracking the History of Hurricane Matthew)
Storm surge and rough waters tore off the end of the Jacksonville Beach Pier, and local emergency officials said Jacksonville Beach suffered "significant damage," flooding up through Second Street.
Due to the storm, a federal judge ruled that the voter registration deadline in Florida would be extended from Tuesday to 5 p.m. Wednesday, according to CNN.com.
Georgia
Storm surge flooding hammered the coast of Georgia Friday night and Saturday, leaving at least three dead and inundating roads that had been ordered closed.All mandatory evacuation orders were lifted Sunday evening, Gov. Nathan Deal announced on Twitter.
Bulloch County deputy coroner Richard Pylant on Sunday confirmed three deaths in the storm's wake.
More than 90,000 customers remained without power in southeastern Georgia Tuesday morning, according to the AP.
(MORE: Why Matthew Isn't Helping the Drought-Ridden Southeast)
On Tybee Island, where several residents stayed put despite evacuation orders, the storm set a storm surge record. The Chatham County Emergency Management Agency said storm surge on the island had reached 12.5 feet, exceeding the previous high of 12.2 feet, which was set when Hurricane David struck in 1979.
#TybeeIsland devastation ranges from flooded yards and roofs completely torn off businesses, and homes. @WSAV @wsavleeh @WSAVKrisA
"The fence around my house went down just like matchsticks," resident Richard Fair told the AP. "It was insane. We lost power and then it was just wind and darkness."
The Coast Guard rescued a man stranded on a sailboat in a river near the island Saturday. Initially, crews were unable to pull the man up due to inclement weather and communicated with him hourly. A helicopter crew was eventually able to lower a rescue swimmer who pulled the man up. The man was taken to Hunter Army Airfield. His condition remains unknown.
South Carolina
The storm claimed three lives in South Carolina.Two deaths occurred in vehicles swept off flooded roads in Florence County, Sheriff Kenney Boone told the Associated Press Sunday.
A third death was confirmed later Sunday by the AP. Richland County coroner Gary Watts said in a news release that 66-year-old David Outlaw was found Saturday morning pinned beneath his wheelchair in the storm's floodwaters. An autopsy indicated Outlaw drowned, the report added.
The state continues to deal with flooding from the storm. The Department of Natural Resources said the Pee Dee River in the Florence area is expected to crest in the next day or so.
On Monday, crews worked to rescue about 150 people from the third floor of the town hall as floodwaters rose in the community of Nichols in Marion County.
Nearly 390,000 remained without power as of Tuesday morning, according to AP.
The destroyed house on Edisto Beach @ABCNews4 @KATVToddYak
(MORE: Matthew's Widespread Power Outages Captured by NASA)
Authorities opened Hilton Head island on Tuesday. At least a foot of water had covered a number of roads and power to the entire island, which is home to 40,000, was off for days, the AP reported.
Schools, including those in Beaufort and Horry counties, remain closed as do a number of school districts in the Pee Dee where rivers are overflowing their banks because of the torrential rains from Matthew.
State government offices in nine counties in the Pee Dee and Beaufort area remain closed on Tuesday.
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