Florence Flooding In The Carolinas: 'The Worst Is Yet To Come'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Florence weakened to a tropical depression, but flooding worries continue from the Carolinas to Virginia. The people who were hit by the fury of Florence are nowhere near out danger.
Fifteen members of the Red Cross Disaster Assistance Response Team, made up of current and retired members of the FDNY, are headed to North Carolina to help Monday.
Flood waters have cut off the coastal city of Wilmington from the rest of North Carolina. Officials are planning to use high water vehicles to drive in enough food and other supplies to feed 60,000 people for four days.
It's not just Wilmington that's swamped. More than two feet of rain from Florence has left sections of Fayetteville under water.
"The worst is yet to come," said Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin "Get to higher ground now."
It's the same in the town of Pembroke. CBS News' Meg Oliver reported swollen rivers are spilling over their banks onto the streets. Hundreds of roads across the state are impassable.
Water levels are still rising in rivers and streams, now beyond flood stage.
A trucker told Oliver he got stuck trying to get through high water.
"It came up at least four feet," Robert Simms told Oliver.
A mandatory evacuation order is in place in this area of North Carolina where the Cape Fear River is expected to crest at 62 feet on Tuesday. Simms told Oliver he was concerned about bridge over the river.
"I am very nervous. When you see stuff hit stuff, that creates more pressure," Simms said.
Disaster assistance teams from the Tri-State area and across the country are pitching in to help.
A Coast Guard crew from New Jersey helped a woman trapped in her home. She had run out of medication and the team airlifted her to safety to a nearby hospital.
PHOTOS: Scenes From Hurricane Florence In The Carolinas
People in the affected zone say navigating the region remains extremely challenging as some roadways caved in and crumbling, while others have become impassable because of flood water.
"Just ran right into it, didn't see what was ahead of me at all," said Doug Nickerson of Wilmington, N.C., after driving his vehicle into flood waters.
In places like New Bern, where the water has already receded, people are beginning to assess damage and clean up.
"We've probably got 15,000 gallons of water. We've already pumped out 7,000 gallons. So we are trying to get it dried out, so we can... get open and get everything squared away," said restaurant owner Raymond Karem.
For many, the water is not the only hazard, but also the loss of power.
"People need to understand that some areas are likely to be without power for a while," said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper.
Almost 500,000 people began the day without power in North Carolina.
