10 dead, 5 missing, 1 million without power and waters rising in NC
CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ The lingering impact of Hurricane Matthew became clearer to North Carolina officials Monday, when a levy broke overnight in the eastern North Carolina town of Lumberton, forcing the emergency evacuation of nearly 1,500 people left stranded by the rising waters.
The flooding there had not been predicted by computer models, adding to the growing fears of state officials, who say 500 water-retaining structures in the state are feeling the impact of Hurricane Matthew.
"People (in Lumberton) awoke to water," Gov. Pat McCrory in a Monday morning press conference. "We are rescuing people off roofs. ... We have 1,500 people in danger and flood rapids are rising."
Ten people have died so far in the state due to the hurricane, another five are missing and 1,400 have been rescued, including a 63-year-old woman who clung to a tree for three hours Sunday after floodwaters swept her car into a canal in Wilson. More than a million people were without power Monday morning, which state officials said equals about 10 percent of North Carolina's population.
� The Charlotte Observer
