The number of victims of the Florence tropical storm, which made landfall in the southeastern US state of North Carolina on Friday, increased from five to seven people, local media reported on Saturday, citing local authorities.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th September, 2018) The number of victims of the Florence tropical storm, which made landfall in the southeastern US state of North Carolina on Friday, increased from five to seven people, local media reported on Saturday, citing local authorities.
According to the NBC 4 New York tv channel, the authorities of North Carolina's Carteret County announced two deaths on Saturday morning, which means that the death toll, which used to stand at five, has now reached seven.
The authorities are concerned over possible further increase in the number of victims, as the storm continues crawling westwards across South and North Carolina, with some towns having already received over two feet of rain.
Florence originated from a strong tropical wave off the western African coast on August 30 and has since then gained hurricane strength and weakened several times. On September 9, South Carolina's authorities declared a state of emergency amid Florence's approaching. Since its landfall on Friday, Florence has weakened to a tropical storm.
Apart from causing seven deaths, it has left at least 970,000 people without electricity.
Florence is expected to continue weakening, but North Carolina's authorities still warn that it is necessary to remain in shelters.
