…Thousands Evacuated as Floodwaters Rise in North Carolina

After tearing through the Caribbean, leaving nearly 900 dead in Haiti alone, 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 19 lives.

Hurricane Matthew began to turn away from the coast Saturday night, but 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

Hurricane Matthew barreled into North Carolina on Saturday, killing eight and prompting hundreds of water rescues. In the town of Princeville, floodwaters forced hundreds of residents to leave Sunday afternoon.

According to the Associated Press, the rising Tar River, which is already nearly 6 feet above flood stage, is forcing the evacuation of the oldest town in the nation to be incorporated by freed slaves, back in 1865.

Edgecombe County announced on its Facebook page that a curfew will go into effect at 7 p.m. Sunday. Buses are 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.”

According to the North Carolina Emergency Management, more than 750,000 homes and businesses remained without power on Sunday morning.

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.

President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency Friday ahead of Hurricane Matthew. The declaration puts the Homeland Security Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in charge of disaster relief efforts in the state.

Virginia

Matthew’s heavy rain pounded the Commonwealth overnight Sunday, resulting in flash floods that left roads impassable and some residents in need of rescue.

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.

Some 300,000 customers were without power in Virginia Sunday afternoon, according to Dominion.

Florida

Gov. Rick Scott surveyed damaged areas on Saturday and said in a press conference that the state was lucky to have avoided a direct hit from Matthew. He commended emergency personnel and said the state and his office will do everything possible to restore utility services to those impacted.

“I want everybody to get their power back as quickly as we can,” Scott said.

More than 1 million customers lost power at the height of the storm, but those outages had been reduced to just over a half-million statewide Sunday morning. As damage assessments continue, Scott said it is still too early to have an idea of how bad the storms impact truly was.

In its destructive march along the Florida coast on Friday, Matthew caused at least five deaths.

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.

In its Friday afternoon advisory, the National Hurricane Center said Matthew has caused “devastation along the Northeast coast of Florida” as the storm made its way north.

Bill Orlove, a spokesperson for Florida Power and Light, said in an interview with weather.com on Friday that the company brought in 15,000 crews from all over the country to aid in the storm impacts, with workers coming from as far away as Massachusetts and Texas.

St. Johns County Fire Rescue said it is not expected that the portion of the city on Anastasia Island will be reopened until Sunday or later depending on the final assessments of city officials. Officials said on Saturday that when reentry is permitted, residents and business owners will need to display an official reentry tag, driver’s license or government-issued photo ID, in order to access these communities.

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.

Jacksonville Beach residents were not allowed to return to the area Saturday, Mayor Charlie Latham announced in a statement. 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.

The famed Daytona International Speedway sustained moderate damage from the storm, officials said Friday. Officials told the AP that lights, speakers, signage, fences, gates, awnings and palm trees were damaged.

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 would be lifted at 5 p.m. EDT Sunday evening, Gov. Nathan Deal announced on Twitter. He also said Interstate 16 eastbound would reopen at 3 p.m., but the barrier islands would remain under a mandatory evacuation order.

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 Saturday confirmed two 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 250,000 customers remained without power in southeastern Georgia Sunday morning, according to Georgia Power and Georgia EMC.

(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.

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 has 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.

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, Haley said all interstates, including I-95, had reopened.

Nearly 200,000 remained without power as of Sunday morning.

Saturday morning, Haley cautioned residents to be patient as the storm pulled away, urging residents to refrain from trying to return to their homes until conditions improve, adding that some should not attempt to return home until Sunday.

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.

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.