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U.S. NEWS Saturday 22 September 2018
When will it end? Florence's floodwaters rising in Carolinas

By MEG KINNARD and JEF- reach record flood levels
FREY COLLINS late Saturday or early Sun-
Associated Press day. In tiny Galivants Ferry,
GALIVANTS FERRY, S.C. Audra Mauer said she lost
(AP) — With muddy river her home two years ago
water still washing over when Hurricane Matthew
entire communities on Fri- hit and she's losing it again
day, eight days after Hur- to Florence. No area im-
ricane Florence slammed provements were made af-
into land with nearly 3 feet ter Matthew, she said, and
of rain, new evacuation a frustrated Mauer has no
orders forced residents to faith any will happen now.
flee to higher ground amid "They didn't clean the ditch-
a sprawling disaster that's es," she said. "Same levee.
beginning to feel like it will Same dams. What have we
never end. been doing for two years?"
At least 42 people have About 25 miles (40 kilome-
died, included an elder- ters) nearer to the South
ly man whose body was Carolina coast, Kevin
found in a submerged pick- Tovornik tore out carpet
up truck in South Carolina, and removed furniture as
and hundreds were forced a preventative measure
from their homes as rivers because he expected
kept swelling higher. flooding at the house he
Leaders in the Carolinas has owned for 20 years in
warned residents not to get Conway, where the Wac-
complacent, warning ad- camaw River was still ris-
ditional horrors lie ahead ing. Bridges are starting to
before things get much close because of flooding,
better. he said, and friends were The Hornets NBA basketball team packed food boxes as part of hurricane relief efforts.
"Although the winds are struck in traffic for hours Associated Press
gone and the rain is not trying to cross the town of
falling, the water is still 23,000. "We almost lost our lives, communities because the four areas in the Atlantic
there and the worst is still to "This is ridiculous. This is the I'm here to tell you we did," river is already running high. for signs of a new tropical
come," said South Carolina worst I've ever seen," Tov- said White, whose family Something else could be weather threat. One was
Gov. Henry McMaster. ornik said. previously evacuated last a problem, though. The off the coast of the Caroli-
Speaking in Las Vegas, Road travel also was a Thursday as Florence, then National Hurricane Cen- nas with a chance of drift-
President Donald Trump daunting problem in Wilm- a hurricane, approached ter said it was monitoring ing toward land.q
said South Carolina is in for ington, a city of 120,000 from the Atlantic.
a "tough one" as flood wa- people still mostly cut off The South Carolina gov-
ters keep rising. from the rest of North Caro- ernor estimated damage
"They got hit, but the big hit lina. A photograph posted from the flood in his state
comes days later and it will by the state transportation at $1.2 billion. In a letter, he
be the biggest they've ever agency showed flowing said, the flooding will be the
had," said Trump, who vis- water and buckled high- worst disaster in the state's
ited North and South Caro- way asphalt on one of the modern history. McMaster
lina this week. few passable routes into asked congressional lead-
While most peoples' lights the city, where officials ers to hurry federal aid.
are back on in the Caroli- have distributed food and North Carolina Gov. Roy
nas and Virginia and trucks water to residents. Cooper said the damage
are picking up mountains With the Great Pee Dee in his state is in the billions
of storm debris, water drain- River receding, state of- of dollars, but there was no
ing toward the sea from in- ficials said Interstate 95 in way to make a more accu-
land areas is sending rivers South Carolina would re- rate estimate while flood-
over their banks across a open after a safety check, ing continues.
wide region. but travelers couldn't get As environmental worries
Rescuers wearing night- very far since the highway mount, Duke Energy said
vision googles used heli- was still closed in North Car- a dam containing a large
copters, boats and big- olina because of the flood- lake at Wilmington power
wheeled military vehicles ed Lumber River. plant had been breached
overnight to evacuate Along the Cape Fear River, by floodwaters, and it was
about 100 people from a David and Benetta White possible that coal ash from
southeastern North Caro- and their four children were an adjacent dump was
lina county where high given short notice to evac- flowing into the Cape Fear
water breached a levee, uate overnight as flood- River.
flooding a town. waters swept over their Paige Sheehan, a Duke En-
In South Carolina, emer- property. By the time they ergy spokeswoman, said
gency managers ordered got loaded into their van, the company didn't be-
about 3,000 people to flee water was waist-high and lieve the breach at the L.V.
homes along the Lynches they had to slog through a Sutton Power Station posed
River. The National Weather foul-smelling soup to get to a significant threat for in-
Service said the river could a neighbor's pickup. creased flooding to nearby