Unending Disaster: Florence Floods Prompt New Evacuations

GALIVANTS FERRY, S.C. (AP) — With muddy river water still washing over entire communities on Friday, eight days after Hurricane Florence slammed into land with nearly 3 feet of rain, new evacuation orders forced residents to flee to higher ground amid a sprawling disaster that's beginning to feel like it will never end. At least 42 people have died, included an elderly man whose body was found in a pickup truck that had been submerged in South Carolina, and hundreds were forced from their homes as rivers kept swelling higher and higher. Leaders in the Carolinas warned residents not to get complacent as it became plain that additional horrors lie ahead before things get much better. "Although the winds are gone and the rain is not falling, the water is still there and the worst is still to come," said South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster. Speaking in Las Vegas, President Donald Trump said South Carolina is in for a "tough one" as flood waters continue to rise. "They got hit, but the big hit comes days later and it will be the biggest they've ever had," said Trump, who visited North and South Carolina this week. While most peoples' lights are back on in the Carolinas and Virginia and trucks are picking up mountains of storm debris in many areas, water draining toward the sea from inland areas is sending rivers over their banks across a wide region. Rescuers wearing night-vision googles used helicopters, boats and big-wheeled military vehicles overn...
Source: JEMS Operations - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: News Operations Source Type: news