Monday, October 10, 2016

Hurricane Matthew Kills at Least 26 in U.S.; Dangerous Flooding Situation Unfolding in North Carolina

Pam Wright and Sean Breslin
Published: October 10,2016

After tearing through the Caribbean, leaving more than 1,000 dead in Haiti, Hurricane Matthew hammered the coast of the southeastern United States, leaving behind a trail of coastal destruction, wind damage and freshwater flooding that claimed an additional 26 lives.
(MORE: How to Help Matthew's Victims)
The confirmed deaths include 10 in North Carolina; nine in Florida; three in South Carolina; three in Georgia; and one in Virginia.
Although Hurricane Matthew is long gone, 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

After Hurricane Matthew pulled away from North Carolina Sunday, the state was coping with historic flooding that has killed at least 11 people and prompted thousands of water rescues. In the town of Princeville, floodwaters from the Tar River forced the evacuation of the entire town Sunday afternoon.
According to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, 1,500 people became stranded in Lumberton Monday as the Lumber river rose. People are reportedly stranded on roofs and rescues are underway, the governor said during a press conference Monday morning.
Edgecombe County announced on its Facebook page that buses were being brought in to evacuate 2,000 residents from Princeville, which was destroyed by flooding from Hurricane Floyd in 1999.
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.
Evacuation orders or notices were relayed to residents along Crane Creek or Lower Little River, WNCN.com also reported.
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory announced the updated death toll Sunday morning after rescue crews worked all night to pluck stranded residents from their homes.
"As the sun rises in North Carolina and the blue sky returns, our state is facing major destruction and, sadly, loss of life," McCrory said during the Sunday morning press conference.
More than a foot of rain fell in the southeastern part of the state, damaging homes, businesses and roads as far west as Raleigh.
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)
According to the North Carolina Emergency Management, 447,013 homes and businesses remained without power as of Monday afternoon.
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.
A state of emergency was declared for Norfolk and Virginia Beach, and all residents were asked to stay off the roads, according to WTVR.com. Several shelters have been opened for those who need somewhere to go, the report added.
Street closures were reported in the communities of Virginia Beach, Franklin, Hampton and Isle of Wight, where the James River Bridge Southbound has been closed due to high water, and downed power lines and trees have caused roadways throughout the county to become dangerous. Similar situations are reported in a number of communities.
The National Guard said it was sending 160 soldiers to the Hampton Roads area to assist with flood response, according to a release obtained by the Virginian-Pilot.
More than 91,000 customers remained without power in Virginia Monday afternoon, according to Dominion.

Florida

More than 1 million Florida customers lost power at the height of the storm, but those outages had been reduced to just over 100,000 statewide Monday evening.
Downtown St Augustine after It looks post apocalyptic. credit Zoopants - Imgur

In its destructive march along the Florida coast on Friday, Matthew caused at least nine deaths.
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.
The Orlando Sentinel reported on Friday that a Volusia County woman was killed when a tree fell on her while feeding animals. In Putnam County, a woman was killed when a tree fell onto a trailer that was occupied by two adults. A man survived, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office also announced.
(MORE: Tracking the History of Hurricane Matthew)
In its Friday afternoon advisory, the National Hurricane Center said Matthew caused "devastation along the Northeast coast of Florida" as the storm made its way north.
Emergency officials also cautioned those who evacuated Anastasia Island that upon returning home, it is likely that water and sewer service may not be immediately available.
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.
Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police issued a statement Saturday that said they were investigating the death of a man at his home, possibly from structural damage caused by a falling tree.
Bulloch County deputy coroner Richard Pylant on Sunday confirmed three deaths in the storm's wake.
According to Pylant, 28-year-old Matthew Ward was killed when his car slammed into a tree that fell across a roadway. James Altman, who was in a wheelchair, was killed when he was struck in the head after two trees collapsed on top of his home.
More than 150,000 customers remained without power in southeastern Georgia Monday afternoon, according to 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.
devastation ranges from flooded yards and roofs completely torn off businesses, and homes. @WSAV @wsavleeh @WSAVKrisA

Some homes on the island suffered roof damage and fallen trees and pools of water dotted the area after the storm. A car was damaged after a road sign fell onto it and a billboard lay twisted by a road. A row of beachside rental condos had shingles and roofing torn off and shredded.
"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.
During a press conference Saturday morning, Deal asked for patience and urged evacuees not to attempt to return to their homes in the six coastal counties where evacuations were mandatory or recommended.
"I understand people are anxious to return home, but I ask evacuees to wait until local authorities determine it is safe to do so," he said. "Our focus remains on public safety. It will take time to ensure the affected areas are safe for reentry.
"We are still in a dangerous situation," he added.
Earlier, Deal called up an additional 1,000 National Guard troops to assist state and local authorities with the emergency response, doubling the number of activated state national guard troops to 2,000.

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.
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.
Both directions of Interstate 95 were rendered impassible in South Carolina due to floodwaters and other obstructions, according to the AP. But on Sunday morning, Gov. Nikki Haley said all interstates, including I-95, had reopened.
All evacuation orders were lifted Monday, according to Haley.
Nearly 500,000 remained without power as of Monday morning, according to AP.
Edisto Beach remained blocked off on Monday. Several homes on the island were destroyed or damaged in the storm and power is out on the island.
The destroyed house on Edisto Beach @ABCNews4 @KATVToddYak

About 10 sailboats were thrown together and washed ashore at the Palmetto Bay Marina. The docks appeared to have broken loose Saturday as storm surge ran up the Harbor River near the bridge on the Cross Island parkway.
(MORE: Matthew's Widespread Power Outages Captured by NASA)
Trees were reported down on Hilton Head Island and with main roads still blocked by debris, authorities had not yet reopened the island Sunday morning.
At least a foot of water covered a number of roads and power to the entire island, which is home to 40,000, appeared to be off, the AP reported.
Beaufort County sheriff's deputies say it may be days before vehicles are able to get onto some of the county's smaller islands.
Many schools throughout South Carolina will be closed Monday, according to the AP.

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