Hurricane Florence Update: Several Dead, Including Toddler, As Floodwaters Continue To Rise

The death toll from Hurricane Florence rose to 17, which includes a mother and her 7-month-old child who were killed when a tree fell on their home in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Sunday evening. So far, 11 deaths have been reported in North Carolina and six in South Carolina.

A pickup truck driver drowned after his vehicle flipped into a drainage ditch along a flooded South Carolina road. Authorities said two others were killed by breathing in carbon monoxide from a generator in their South Carolina house, Independent reported.

“Our hearts go out to the families of those who died in this storm. Hurricane Florence is going to continue its violent grind across our state for days. Be extremely careful and stay alert,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said.

Officials said a 68-year-old man was electrocuted when he attempted to connect two extension cords outside in the rain in Lenoir County, North Carolina. His body was discovered by family members. A 77-year-old man died after he was blown down by the wind when he went out to check on his hunting dogs in Kinston, North Carolina, ABC 7 reported.

According to reports, a man died inside the West Brunswick High School shelter, North Carolina, on Thursday morning, however, the death was “not related to the storm,” officials said.

“We are saddened by the sudden passing of one of our community, and our hearts go out to the family and friends who are now grieving during such an already stressful period. An investigation into the cause of death is underway, but it appears there is no reason for others at the shelter to worry. Staff and responders at the shelters are committed to providing a safe location to citizens during the storm,” Amanda Hutcheson, a Brunswick County spokeswoman said, Local daily Charlotte Observer reported.

According to latest reports, the Headwaters Dam in Creston, North Carolina, was in danger of breaching. The National Weather Service warned anybody living downstream of the dam to evacuate immediately.

“The dam in the Headwaters Development is close to capacity and is in danger of a breach. Anyone living downstream of 5010 Three Top Road should evacuate,” Ashe County Emergency Management tweeted Sunday evening.

The hurricane has dumped more than 30 inches of rain across North Carolina since it made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane Friday. Over 15,000 North Carolinians were in shelters and about 700,000 were without power Sunday.

Officials ordered thousands of residents near the Cape Fear River and Little River to evacuate by Sunday afternoon because of the flood risk. “The worst is yet to come. If you are refusing to leave during this mandatory evacuation, you need to do things like notify your legal next of kin because the loss of life is very, very possible,” said Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin.