Hurricane Florence, Part 5

[Content Note: Death and displacement. Previously: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4.]

The flooding from Hurricane Florence has been catastrophic in the Carolinas. Seventeen people have died, thousands are displaced from their homes, and three-quarters of a million people are currently without electricity. And it's not yet over. In fact, the worst is still to come.

Martin Pengelly, Adam Gabbatt, Oliver Laughland, and Khushbu Shah at the Guardian report:

"The storm has never been more dangerous than it is now," [North Carolina] Governor Roy Cooper said. "Many rivers are still rising, and are not expected to crest until later today or tomorrow."

...After blowing ashore as a hurricane with 90mph winds, Florence lingered over the Carolinas. By Sunday it had weakened to a tropical depression. Winds were down to 35mph. But in North Carolina, rivers were swelling.

The evacuation zone included part of Fayetteville. "This is not a talking point," said its mayor, Mitch Colvin, on Saturday. "This is not a script, but we are saying this because we are concerned with you. The worst is yet to come. If you are refusing to leave during this mandatory evacuation, you need to do things like notify your legal next of kin. The loss of life is very, very possible."

Forecasts said rivers would crest on Sunday and Monday at record or near-record levels: the Little, the Cape Fear, the Lumber, the Neuse, the Waccamaw, and the Pee Dee were all projected to burst their banks.

The flooding in Wilmington is so severe that the entire city of 120,000 people is now effectively cut off entirely from the rest of the state and supplies will have to be airlifted: "Woody White, the New Hanover county commission chair, said officials were planning for food and water to be flown into the coastal city. 'Our roads are flooded,' he said. 'There is no access to Wilmington.'"

At CNN, Dakin Andone has a comprehensive report recounting how the storm has played out. There are images of the devastation at the link, so please be advised if you would like to avoid that sort of imagery.

I want to again link this piece by Aimée Lutkin at Lifehacker: How to Help Hurricane Florence Victims.

And here are a few other compilations of suggestions on how to direct your resources, if you are able and keen to help hurricane victims:

Kelly Phillips Erb at Forbes: Helping Out After Hurricane Florence: Where, What, and How to Donate.

Melissa Locker at Fast Company: How to Help Hurricane Florence Victims: 10 Things You Can Do Right Now.

Nicole Spector at NBC News: Hurricane Florence: How to Help the Victims of the Storm.

Karen Zraick at the New York Times: Tropical Depression Florence: How to Help.

Christopher Dawson at CNN: How to Help Those Impacted by Hurricane Florence.

Please feel welcome and encouraged to share other ways to help in comments.