Major flooding and wind gusts have led to significant damage as Florence continues to wreak havoc in parts of North and South Carolina.
NBC10 Boston meteorologist Chris Gloninger reports that wind gusts remain over 40 mph near Wilmington, NC. Wind speeds reached 105 mph as Florence made landfall Friday morning.
Mandatory evacuations were issued last Tuesday for 1.7 million residents in the Carolinas and Virginia. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper warned of an impending disaster.
First responders involved in response efforts in previous disasters such as Hurricane Matthew in 2007, and more recently, Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, are now taking part in search and rescue efforts in the wake of Florence.
Rescue crews have already saved more than 300 people in New Bern, NC, from rising floodwaters. An additional 10 inches of rain was expected by noon on Saturday.
