Storm kills 3, drenches Carolinas

By

National News

September 14, 2018 - 11:00 PM

Birds huddle against the wind and rain of Hurricane Florence at the Oceana Pier in Atlantic Beach, N.C. Friday morning. (TNS)

FLORENCE

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — Blowing ashore with howling 90 mph winds, Hurricane Florence splintered buildings, trapped hundreds of people and swamped entire communities along the Carolina coast Friday in what could be just the opening act in a watery, two-part, slow-motion disaster. At least three people were killed.

Forecasters warned that drenching rains of anywhere from 1 to 3½ feet as the storm crawls westward across North and South Carolina could trigger epic flooding well inland over the next few days.

As 400-mile-wide Florence pounded away at the coast with torrential downpours and surging seas, rescue crews used boats to reach scores of people besieged by rising waters along a river. More than 60 others had to be rescued as a cinderblock motel collapsed.

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