NEWPORT, NC - Florence weakened as it moved across the Carolinas last week, but the numbers don't lie when looking at the scope of the storm and its impact on our state.
It'll go down as a benchmark moment in North Carolina weather history.
FLORENCE BY THE NUMBERS IN NC
Here's a look at Florence's impact in the state by the numbers as of Wednesday afternoon:
- 27 deaths in North Carolina
- 2,600 rescues
- An estimated 8.04 trillion gallons of rain according to the National Weather Service
- 13 rivers at major flood stage
- 796 road closures according to the NC DOT
- About 7,800 people in emergency shelters
- Just over 182,000 people who are without power
- 3.4 million chicken and turkeys were killed in the flooding as well as 5,500 hogs
Here's a look at the forecast and the observed rainfall from Florence:
PRESIDENT TRUMP TOURS NC DAMAGE
President Donald Trump and NC Governor Roy Cooper visited eastern North Carolina Wednesday to check out damage and talk to victims. Trump met with Cooper and other state officials in a roundtable talk at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in Havelock.
"To all those impacted by this terrible storm, our entire American family is with you and ready to help," Trump said. "And you will recover."
“I know communities like this one have been stunned at the breadth of the damage that’s been done," Gov. Cooper said in a briefing at the Newport Fire House.
"I’ve talked to people who have lost their home, people who really don’t know what to do now that their business has been washed away. Farmers who had the majority of crops in their field that they were not able to harvest in time,“ said Cooper.
GOV. COOPER TALKS ABOUT THE "SPIRIT OF NORTH CAROLINA"
He also said, “People that I’ve been talking to today are helping each other."
Gov. Cooper also spoke about the "spirit of North Carolina," saying, "I talked to one woman whose house had been destroyed, she was out serving meals to other people. That is the spirit of North Carolina. That is the spirit I am witnessing across this state.”
Florence made landfall in the state near Wrightsville Beach Friday morning as a Category 1 Hurricane.
FEMA DISASTER
For more on disaster assistance visit DisasterAssistance.gov
- Call 800-621-3362 (800-462-7585 TTY users) (Multilingual operators are available, press 2 for Spanish) to register. The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, seven days a week.
After registering for disaster assistance, you may be referred to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In times of disasters, the SBA offers low-interest loans for businesses, homeowners and renters. The SBA will contact you with information on how to apply. There’s no obligation to accept a loan, but you may miss out on the largest source of federal disaster recovery funds if you don’t submit an application.
Information about low-interest SBA disaster loans and application forms are available online at SBA.gov/disaster. You may also call 800-659-2955 or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov. If you use TTY, call 800-877-8339.
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