Florence death toll rises

UPDATE: 3:35 p.m.

The death toll from Florence, the hurricane-turned-tropical storm, has climbed to 11.

As of 5 p.m., Florence was centred about 60 miles (95 kilometres) west of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, inching west at 2 mph (4 kph) — not even as fast as a person walking. Its winds were down to 45 mph (75 kph). With half of the storm still out over the Atlantic, Florence continued to collect warm ocean water and dump it on land.

In its initial onslaught along the coast, Florence buckled buildings, deluged entire communities and knocked out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses. But the storm was shaping up as a two-part disaster, with the second, delayed stage triggered by rainwater working its way into rivers and streams.

The flash flooding could devastate communities and endanger dams, roads and bridges.

Authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of up to 7,500 people living within a mile (1.6 kilometres) of a stretch of the Cape Fear River and the Little River, about 100 miles (160 kilometres) from the coast. The evacuation zone included part of the city of Fayetteville, population 200,000.

The National Hurricane Center said Florence broke a North Carolina rainfall record that had stood for almost 20 years: Preliminary reports showed Swansboro got more than 30 inches (75 centimetres) and counting, obliterating the mark set in 1999, when Hurricane Floyd dropped just over 24 inches (60 centimetres) on the state.

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UPDATE: 12:45 p.m.

Thousands of people living near North Carolina's rising rivers were ordered evacuated Saturday as hurricane-turned-tropical storm Florence practically parked itself over land and poured on the rain Saturday, raising fears that the state could be in for the most destructive flooding in its history.

The death toll climbed to at least seven.

A day after Florence blew ashore in North Carolina with 145 km/h winds, Coast Guardsmen, Marines and other rescue crews used helicopters, boats and heavy-duty vehicles to reach scores of people trapped on rooftops or otherwise caught in the floodwaters.

More than two feet of rain had fallen in places, and the drenching went on and on, with forecasters saying there could be an additional 1.5 feet by the end of the weekend.

Rivers and creeks rose toward record levels, threatening flash flooding that could devastate communities and endanger dams, roads and bridges.

"I cannot overstate it: Floodwaters are rising, and if you aren't watching for them you are risking your life," Gov. Roy Cooper said.

As of 2 p.m., Florence was centred about 85 kilometres west of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, inching west at six km/h — about as fast as a person walks. Its winds were down to 75 km/h. With half of the storm still out over the Atlantic, Florence continued to collect warm ocean water and dump it on land.

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ORIGINAL: 8:45 a.m.

Emergency workers went door to door urging people to flee Florence's rising floodwaters Saturday and rescuers used inflatable boats to pluck others from homes already submerged as the storm's epic deluge swelled rivers and creeks across the Carolinas.

More than two feet of rain already had fallen in places, and the drenching went on and on as Florence, a hurricane-turned-tropical storm, practically parked itself over the two states. Forecasters said the torrents could continue for days, touching off disastrous flooding.

At least four people have died, and authorities fear the toll will go higher.

Florence blew ashore early Friday in North Carolina with 90 mph winds, buckling buildings, deluging entire communities and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses as it crawled inland and weakened into a still-lethal tropical storm.

Officials in North Carolina's Harnett County, about 90 miles inland, urged residents of about 1,100 homes to evacuate because the Lower Little River was rising toward record levels.

In New Bern, along the coast, aerial photos show homes completely surrounded by water, with rescuers using inflatable boats to go house to house to remove people. More than 360 people have been carried to safety since Thursday night amid rising waters from a river swelled by both rain and salty storm surge.

A pet dog licked Johan Mackie's face after he helped rescue Kevin Knox's family from their flooded brick home. The Army sergeant was part of a team using a phone app to locate people in distress.

Mackie rode in a boat through a flooded neighbourhood, navigating through trees and past a fence post to get to the Knox house.

"Amazing. They did awesome," said Knox, who was stranded with seven others, including a boy who was carried out in a life vest. "If not we'd be stuck upstairs for the next ... how long? I have no idea."

At 11 a.m. Saturday, Florence was centred about 40 miles (65 kilometres) west of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, moving west at two mph. Its winds were down to 45 mph.

National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham said radar and rain gauges indicated some areas got as much as 2 1/2 feet of rain, which he called "absolutely staggering."

"And we're not done yet," Graham said, adding that some hard-hit areas could get an additional 15 to 20 inches because the storm was moving so slowly.