Carolinas remain on alert for flooding from Florence

North Carolina’s governor continued to warn Saturday of “treacherous” floodwaters from Hurricane Florence, urging residents in the eastern part of the state to stay alert for flood warnings and evacuation orders. Gov. Roy Cooper said nine of the state’s river gauges are at major flood stage and four others are at moderate stage. South Carolina has ordered more evacuations as rivers there continue to swell as they carry runoff from record rainfall dumped by the storm toward the coast. Florence made landfall eight days ago near Wilmington, N.C., and headed out of the region on Monday.

North Carolina Emergency Management Director Michael Sprayberry said eastern counties in the state continue to see flooding from the Black, Lumber, Neuse, and Cape Fear rivers. The Cape Fear River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Wilmington, is expected to crest Sunday and remain at flood stage through early next week. He added that displaced residents in affected North Carolina counties who register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be able to move into hotels on Monday. A FEMA coordinator said close to 70,000 people have registered so far.

Environmental officials in North Carolina are monitoring two sites where floodwaters have breached coal ash sites and could be entering and contaminating the Neuse and Cape Fear rivers.