Flood risk remains in the Carolinas

Residents in eastern North and South Carolina still have not escaped the wrath of Hurricane Florence one full week after the storm first made landfall. Rainfall that measured in the trillions of gallons continues to make its way downstream from inland rivers and streams to the already saturated coast, causing billions of dollars of damage along the way.

“We’re at the end of the line of all waters to come down,” said Georgetown County, S.C., administrator Sel Hemingway as he warned the coastal community could see unprecedented flooding. Farther inland in Florence County, S.C., officials ordered the evacuation of about 500 people along the Lynches River.

In North Carolina, the town of Spring Lake, north of Fayetteville, faces flooding from the Little River much like it did two years ago with Hurricane Matthew. The Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, which rebuilt after flood damage in 2016, was hit again. “I’m so sad just thinking about all the work we put in. My gut is turning up,” church member Dennis DeLong said. “We put a lot of heart and soul into putting it back up.”

Meanwhile, access to the port city of Wilmington, N.C., was still limited Friday, but city officials canceled a curfew and resumed regular trash pickup. Portions of Interstate 40 leading into Wilmington remain flooded, as do sections of Interstate 95 in North and South Carolina. More than a thousand roads are closed in the region, with some washed out entirely.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster estimated flood damage in his state at $1.2 billion, calling it the worst disaster in the state’s modern history. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said damage in his state will be in the billions before it is all over.

At least 42 people have died in the Carolinas and Virginia from the storm, with more than half perishing in vehicle-related incidents.