Hurricane Florence: At Least 5 Dead So Far

The devastating Hurricane Florence, which reached North and South Carolina on Friday, September 14, has left at least 5 dead so far. According to Reuters, the first two victims of this storm were a mother and her infant in Wilmington, North Carolina, who lost their lives when a tree fell on their brick home. The woman's husband has also been hospitalized. In Pender County, North Carolina, a woman who suffered a heart attack died due to blocked roads preventing medical aid from reaching her. The fourth victim was killed in Lenoir County while working with a generator. The fifth victim died in the same area when he went outside to check on his dog. The storm intensified near Wilmington at 7:15 AM local time, with wind speeds reaching 150 km/h. However, the wind intensity decreased to 120 km/h by the afternoon. Roy Cooper, the governor of North Carolina, stated that the storm's intensity has now lessened, but due to heavy rains, the state will experience flooding in the coming days. Officials in New Bern, a city with a population of about 30,000, reported that they have rescued over 100 people from flooding. Additionally, more than 722,000 homes in North and South Carolina have lost power. Utility companies predict that millions of homes will experience power outages, and restoring electricity may take weeks. The storm is expected to shift north early next week after passing through parts of these two states, moving across western North and South Carolina and the Appalachian Mountains. The National Hurricane Center announced that the storm's intensity will significantly decrease on Saturday and Sunday. It is reported that this storm will affect the lives of about 10 million people. The White House announced on Friday that President Donald Trump plans to visit the areas affected by the storm next week.