At least two people have died and 20 more are still missing Thursday, August 19, in flooding in North Carolina, in the southeastern United States, according to local authorities.
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«More than 200 people began today their mission to continue to search house by house along the Pigeon RiverThe Haywood County Sheriff’s Office said in a tweet Thursday. The county, located inland, was hit by a significant rise in the waters of the Pigeon River on Wednesday after Tropical Storm Fred passed.
At its peak, the river rose to 6 meters, according to county officials. Up to 30 centimeters of water fell between Monday and Wednesday in western North Carolina, according to the state governor’s office, which declared a state of emergency for the flooding described as “historical».
«It happened in just 45 minutes»
«This state of emergency will allow rescuers to quickly come to the aid of affected areas to save lives, restore power, clear debris, and bring in equipment.Governor Roy Cooper said in a statement Wednesday. “We searched abandoned vehicles, homes and buildings for survivorsHaywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher said Wednesday, quoted by local broadcaster WYFF4.
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Nathan Yabrough, a resident interviewed by the same channel said he had water up to more than two meters in the garden of his house near the village of Cruso, particularly affected by the floods. “It happened in just 45 minutesHe said of the rising waters. “The water went from a normal flood to a point where there was 1m20 on the side of the house“, he added.
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