Matthew-Related Death Toll Jumps to 14 in NC
(ABC News) – One of the last states touched by Hurricane Matthew has become one of the hardest hit. The death toll in North Carolina has jumped to 14 from 11, Gov. Pat McCrory said today, and three people in the state remain missing.
One victim was driving home when a tree fell on him, the governor said. Two others were found submerged in their cars.
McCrory said one man was fatally shot by a trooper during a high-water rescue in Lumberton. McCrory did not provide additional details about the shooting and said it was under investigation.
Nicole Craine/Reuters A semi truck that drove past a barricade is removed from a washed away road on Highway 117 as flood waters in the wake of Hurricane Matthew continue to rise in Goldsboro, North Carolina, Oct. 10, 2016.
“Too many people have died and we don’t want any more to die,” McCrory said this morning. “I saw firsthand the suffering the citizens are going through. That will stick with me for the rest of my life.”
McCrory said that Monday night was “a difficult night for thousands” of residents. “We must do all we can to help those with nothing left.”
Sean Rayford/Getty Images Rescue workers navigate floodwaters in a neighborhood, on Oct. 10, 2016, in Lumberton, North Carolina.
And the threat in North Carolina is not over; more flooding is expected in several counties — Lenoir, Pitt, Greene, Bladen and Edgecombe — and evacuations have begun, McCrory noted.
“To people near Woodlake Dam in Moore County — get out, get out now,” he said, adding that it’s “unacceptable for you to stay.”
Andrew Craft/The Fayetteville Observer via AP Photo A man holds onto a yield sign after trying to swim out to help a stranded truck driver at NC 301 Highway and Tom Starling Road in Hope Mills, North Carolina, on Oct. 9, 2016.
The Greenville airport in Pitt County is experiencing flooding and 282,000 customers are without power today, according to McCrory. Interstate 95 — a major East Coast artery — remains partially closed.
Matthew battered Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia for days before weakening and veering out to sea on Sunday. The powerful storm was blamed for the death of 28 people.
The storm brought winds of up to 100 mph, as much as 15 inches of rain and powerful storm surges of up to 9 feet in some areas.
The storm led to the evacuation of more than 3 million coastal residents, caused widespread power outages and has left billions of dollars in damage in its wake.
ABC News’ Jason Volack contributed to this report.
