Florence Storm Flash Updates: More Deaths, Rescues, Power Outages

CHARLOTTE, NC — Fourteen people are now confirmed dead and more than 700,000 people will spend a second night in the dark from Tropical Storm Florence, which broke rainfall records that have stood for two decades in North Carolina. The storm meandered across South Carolina Saturday evening, bringing catastrophic rains and flooding to both of the Carolinas. Utility crews are battling strong winds and heavy rains in some counties as they try to restore electricity after toppled trees brought down electric lines.

Hundreds of people were rescued Saturday, including 13 people trapped in a home in Jacksonville. One by one, they were helped into a Coast Guard helicopter basket and hoisted 40 feet in the air to safety. They included an elderly woman who walked to the basket on crutches.

So far, Florence has dumped more than 30 inches of rain in Swansboro, breaking the old record set in 1999 when Hurricane Floyd dumped just over 24 inches on the state. The National Hurricane Center said another 15 inches of rain is possible in North Carolina, prompting concerns of widespread inland flooding, including in some areas that have never flooded.

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Forecasters say excessive rainfall is expected in southern and central portions of North Carolina into far northeast South Carolina, with an additional 15 to 20 inches of rain likely to fall.

Florence was about 60 miles west of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at 5 p.m. Saturday and is moving to the west at 2 mph Saturday and is expected to turn toward the west-northwest and northwest on Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center. By Monday the storm is forecast to turn northward through the Ohio Valley. Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph with higher gusts. Gradual weakening is forecast while Florence moves farther inland in the next couple of days.

Here are the latest need-to-know facts; share this with your neighbors on Facebook and Twitter:

• Hurricane Florence: County-By-County Power Outages In NC, SC: As now Tropical Storm Florence North Carolina Friday and Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people lost power. Some 648,730 customers in North Carolina and 64,780 in South Carolina were still without power at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, according to poweroutage.us. That includes more than 433,000 Duke Energy customers in the state.
• Florence Death Toll Rises As Record Rains Pound North Carolina: Flood waters gushing across swaths of North Carolina have killed at least 11, and another three people have died in South Carolina as a result of the storm, which is continuing to lash the state with torrential rain that has left hundreds of miles of roads and entire towns underwater.
• 13 Hoisted To Chopper During Day Of Dramatic Rescues: Helicopters whirred overhead and troops from the Coast Guard, National Guard and Marines were joined by civilians and volunteers to rescue hundreds of people trapped in floodwaters.
• Trump OKs Disaster Relief In North Carolina: The White House says President Donald Trump has issued a disaster declaration for North Carolina and that will make federal money available to people in the counties of Beaufort, Brunswick, Carteret, Craven, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico and Pender.
• Florence: Rescue Efforts Continue As Storm Brings More Rain: Emergency responders were continuing to rescue people stranded in floodwaters on Saturday as Tropical Storm Florence brought more rain to North Carolina. Gov. Roy Cooper urged residents to remain in shelters and follow the recommendations of emergency professionals. The state said 100-plus were rescued, but CNN reported that about 200 people were pulled from floodwaters in the small city of New Bern on Friday.
• Florence In Tweets: Reports On The Storm From North Carolina: Residents and news media from across North Carolina have posted photos and video on Twitter of the destruction of Hurricane Florence, which made landfall early Friday morning.
• Charlotte Airport Open As Airlines Seek To Restart Flights: Charlotte-Douglas International Airport was open for business Saturday morning, as Tropical Storm Florence continued to creep west through the Carolinas Saturday. The storm is expected to dump as much as 15 inches of rain or more in the Charlotte-metro region.
• Here's How Much Rain Florence Has Dumped On NC So Far: Early predictions said Hurricane Florence would dump staggering amounts of rain on the Tar Heel state and they have not been wrong. More than 30 inches of rain fell Friday on some areas of North Carolina and there's much more to come.
• How FEMA Is Responding To Hurricane Florence In North Carolina: The national focus has become responding to the storm's aftermath and inevitable cases of property damage, power outages, downed trees and flooding, and potential loss of life. FEMA's reputation suffered last year following its lagging response to Hurricane Maria, but authorities say they are well poised to handle the damages from Hurricane Florence.
• Hurricane Florence: How To Help: From former NBA superstar Michael Jordan to local, state and national organizations, there are a wide variety of safe options to aid those affected by Hurricane Florence. The storm already has claimed five lives and wreaked havoc throughout the Carolinas, and intensified inland flooding could get worse in the coming days. If you want to help, here are some ways.
• Evacuations Ordered In Fayetteville, Cumberland County, Wade: PD: A mandatory evacuation order is in place for Cumberland County, the city of Fayetteville and the town of Wade, according to Fayetteville Police. The evacuation order is for anyone residing within one mile of the banks of Cape Fear River and the Little River within Cumberland county.
• Florence Update: VA Sends Aid To Carolinas, Southwest VA: Federal and resources were stockpiled in central and coastal Virginia when forecasters initially thought the state would be in Florence's path, but the supplies weren't needed. On Saturday, the state shipped 4,000 box lunches to Clinton, North Carolina, to aid residents there.

You may also want to read about curfews in effect in the Wilmington area after looting arrests, the potential environmental damage looming as hog manure lagoons could overflow, the keepsakes that evacuees chose to grab as they flood the hurricane, and rescue efforts in New Bern.

PHOTOS: Robert Simmons Jr. and his kitten "Survivor" are rescued from floodwaters after Hurricane Florence dumped several inches of rain in the area overnight, Friday, Sept. 14, 2018 in New Bern, N.C. (Andrew Carter/The News & Observer via AP)

A fire truck drives past a large tree blown over by Hurricane Florence on September 14, 2018 in Wilmington, North Carolina. Hurricane Florence hit Wilmington as a category 1 storm causing widespread damage and flooding along the Carolina coastline.

Mike Pollack searches for a drain in the yard of his flooded waterfront home a day after Hurricane Florence hit the area, on September 15 in Wilmington, North Carolina. (Photos by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)