Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY

A3
U.S. NEWS Monday 17 SepteMber 2018

Flooding fears surge as rivers rise; Wilmington cut off

Continued from Front dead. More than 2.4 mil- ties, plus beer.
lion people were evacu- “I have everything I need
In Wilmington , with roads ated from China’s south- for my whole family,” said
leading in and out of ern Guangdong province Merlos. Nearby, a Waffle
the city underwater and ahead of the massive ty- House restaurant limited
streams still swelling up- phoon, the strongest to hit breakfast customers to one
ward, residents waited for the region in nearly two de- biscuit and one drink, all
hours outside stores and cades. In North Carolina, take-out, with the price of
restaurants for basic ne- fears of what could be the $2 per item.
cessities like water. Police worst flooding in the state’s Kenneth Campbell had
guarded the door of one history led officials to order donned waterproof wad-
store, and only 10 people tens of thousands to evac- ers intending to check out
were allowed inside at a uate, though it wasn’t clear his home in Lumberton ,
time. how many had fled or even but he didn’t bother when
Woody White, chairman of could. The head of the Fed- he saw the Coast Guard
the board of commissioners eral Emergency Manage- and murky waters in his Chicken farm buildings are inundated with floodwater from
Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018.
of New Hanover County, ment Agency, Brock Long, neighborhood.q Associated Press
said officials were planning said officials were focused
for food and water to be on finding people and res-
flown into the coastal city cuing them.
of nearly 120,000 people. “We’ll get through this.
“Our roads are flooded,” It’ll be ugly, but we’ll get
he said. “There is no access through it,” Long told NBC’s
to Wilmington.” “Meet The Press.”
About 70 miles (115 kilome- President Donald Trump
ters) away from the coast, said federal emergency
residents near the Lumber workers, first responders
River stepped from their and law enforcement of-
homes directly into boats ficials were “working really
floating in their front yards; hard.” As the storm “begins
river forecasts showed the to finally recede, they will
scene could be repeated kick into an even higher
in towns as far as 250 miles gear. Very Professional!” he
(400 kilometers) inland as declared in a tweet.
waters rise for days. The storm’s death toll
Downgraded overnight to climbed to at least 17
a tropical depression, Flor- when a 3-month-old child
ence was still massive. But was killed when a tree fell
with radar showing parts across a mobile home in
of the storm over six South- North Carolina. Earlier, of-
eastern states and flood ficials said three people
worries spreading into died in separate, weather-
southern Virginia and West related traffic accidents in
Virginia, North and South South Carolina.
Carolina were still in the Victor Merlos was over-
bull’s-eye. joyed to find a store open
Half way around the world, for business in Wilming-
meanwhile, Typhoon ton since he had about
Mangkhut barreled into 20 relatives staying at his
southern China on Sunday apartment, which still had
after lashing the Philip- power. He spent more than
pines with strong winds and $500 on cereal, eggs, soft
heavy rain that left dozens drinks and other necessi-