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South Carolina expecting potentially record flooding after Hurricane Florence

North Carolina has experienced major flooding for over a week following the storm's landfall

Monday 24 September 2018 19:36 BST
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Hurricane Florence flood on North Carolina coast in US

South Carolina could see record flooding in the wake of the landfall of Hurricane Florence, which hit the US over a week ago and brought major rains.

Thousands are reportedly preparing to evacuate from coastal areas in South Carolina, where waters are swelling rivers and threatening the major flooding.

In Georgetown County, South Carolina, for instance, officials have told over 8,000 people to be prepared to leave in the coming days. Those officials say that they may see up to 10 feet of flooding, an historic amount for the area.

Officials say that there is the potential for life threatening flooding as soon as Tuesday, and hoping that people living in flood zones will heed their warnings and evacuate before flood levels get too high.

Some of the primary areas of concern are along the Pee Dee and Waccamaw Rivers, where waters from Florence are accumulating.

Sam Hodge, Georgetown County's emergency management director, said in a video posted online that shelters are being opened on Monday to help residents in need of safe refuge from the storm waters.

“From boots on the ground to technology that we have, we are trying to be able to get the message out,” Mr Hodge said in the video, urging residents to act sooner rather than later to get away from the potentially devastating conditions.

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At least 44 people have been killed in the aftermath of Florence, which hit the Carolinas 10 days ago as a category 1 hurricane before losing speed and traveling into the mainland United States.

North Carolina has seen major flooding since then, with rescue crews working to save lives in areas across the state that saw the rainwater rise up and into homes and businesses.

Florence, when all is said and done, is expected to leave between $38 billion and $50 billion in damage, according to estimates from Moody’s Analytics.

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