Florence leaves ‘monumental disaster’ – with more trouble to come

Florence has left the Carolinas, but the death toll keeps rising as remnants of the storm generate rain, floodwater and tornadoes.

Now a post-tropical cyclone, Florence has killed 32 people, trapped hundreds more and cut off an entire city, officials said. Residential streets have turned into rivers, and freeways have morphed into waterways dotted with rescue boats. And the storm continues to wreak havoc.

The first Florence-related death in Virginia was reported Monday as a tornado associated with the storm’s outer bands caused a building to collapse near Richmond. And reports in North Carolina of two hog-farm lagoons being breached and more being inundated by flood waters are causing health concerns.

Maura Walbourne sits in the front of a canoe as she looks inside her flooded home in Conway, South Carolina, on Sunday, September 23.

A home in Conway, South Carolina, is inundated by floodwaters on Wednesday, September 26, one week after Hurricane Florence.

Taylor James navigates floodwaters in a boat in front of Trinity United Methodist Church in Conway, South Carolina on Wednesday, September 26.

Floodwaters from the Neuse River cover part of Kinston, North Carolina, on Monday, September 24.

Brian Terry looks at the floodwaters outside his home in Brittons Neck, South Carolina, on Saturday, September 22.

An officer with the South Carolina State Highway Patrol marks the water level of Highway 22 on Saturday.

Avery Singleton takes a boat to Pine Grove Baptist Church in Brittons Neck, South Carolina, on Saturday.

President Donald Trump hands out food at Temple Baptist Church, where food and other supplies were being distributed Wednesday, September 19, as part of Hurricane Florence recovery efforts in New Bern, North Carolina.

Trump shakes hands as he visits the New Bern church on Wednesday.

A woman in Currie, North Carolina, sits on a damaged road surrounded by floodwaters on Tuesday, September 18.

Ronnie Gainey pulls an electric guitar from his flooded home in Darlington, South Carolina.

Two people near Wallace, South Carolina, sit on the top of a vehicle that was caught in flooding on Monday, September 17.

Rescue personnel help people evacuate a flooded area in Spring Lake, North Carolina.

Floodwaters surround a trailer in Pollocksville, North Carolina, on September 17.

Pollocksville resident Willie Schubert cradles his dog, Lucky, atop a stranded van as they await help from the US Coast Guard on September 17.

Floodwaters are seen on North Carolina's Emerald Isle on Sunday, September 16.

Chicken farm buildings are inundated with floodwaters near Trenton, North Carolina, on September 16.

Panicked dogs left caged by their owner are rescued by volunteer Ryan Nichols in Leland, North Carolina, on September 16.

A church is partially submerged in Richlands, North Carolina, on September 16.

Coast Guard member Blake Gwinn helps Josephine Horne escape her flooded home in Columbus County, North Carolina, on September 16.

A large tree lies on top of a mobile home in Newport, North Carolina, on September 16.

John Hendren leads horses to safety after the US Coast Guard helped cut up a fallen tree that had trapped the animals in a flooded field in Lumberton, North Carolina.

Tony Thompson stands in the wreckage of his mobile home as Florence moved inland over Newport, North Carolina, on September 16.

A woman and a young girl walk down a flooded road in Pollocksville on September 16.

Floodwaters inundate parts of Trenton, North Carolina, on September 16.

Members of the Coast Guard help a stranded motorist in floodwaters in Lumberton, North Carolina, on September 16.

A man peers from his flooded home in Lumberton on September 16.

Members of a search-and-rescue team help an elderly resident onto a bus as they evacuate an assisted living facility in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Saturday, September 15.

A member of the US Coast Guard checks on homes after Florence hit Newport, North Carolina, on September 15 .

A neighbor takes photos of a boat smashed against a car garage near the Neuse River in New Bern on Saturday.

A truck is submerged in floodwaters in Jacksonville, North Carolina, on Saturday.

Joseph Eudi surveys debris and storm damage at a home in New Bern, North Carolina, on September 15.

A woman calls for help at her flooded residence as Florence brought large amounts of rain and floodwaters to Lumberton, North Carolina, on Saturday.

People wait in line to fill gas cans at a gas station that was damaged when Florence hit Wilmington, North Carolina, on Saturday.

A baseball field on Mill Creek Road is filled with floodwater after Florence hit Newport, North Carolina, on Saturday.

Mike Pollack searches for a drain in the yard of his flooded waterfront home in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Saturday.

Floodwaters from Florence inundate the town of Engelhard, North Carolina, on Saturday.

Ray Baca of Wilmington, North Carolina, checks his phone as he sits on a bench.

A sailboat lifted by storm surge leans against a building at Bridgepointe Marina in New Bern, North Carolina, on Saturday, a day after Florence's landfall.

Kim Adams wades through floodwaters surrounding her home in Southport, North Carolina, on September 15.

Volunteers help rescue three children from a flooded home in James City, North Carolina, on Friday, September 14.

Russ Lewis covers his eyes from wind and sand in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on September 14.

Volunteers help rescue people from their flooded homes in New Bern on September 14.

Waves crash into the Second Avenue Pier in Myrtle Beach on September 14.

The storm leaves a tree toppled in New Bern on September 14.

Soldiers from the North Carolina National Guard reinforce a low-lying area with sandbags in Lumberton, North Carolina, on September 14.

Robert Simmons Jr. and his kitten are rescued from floodwaters in New Bern on September 14.

Teddie Davis checks on one of the New Bern's signature bear statues toppled by the storm on September 14. Another one of the bears, in the background, ended up in the middle of a downtown street.

Rising waters threaten downtown Washington, North Carolina, as the Pamlico River overruns its banks on September 14.

An abandoned van sits on a flooded road near New Bern on September 14.

A boat sits wedged in trees in Oriental, North Carolina, near New Bern, on September 14.

Members of a Federal Emergency Management Agency team from California search a flooded neighborhood in Fairfield Harbour, North Carolina, on September 14.

Rescue workers attempt to remove a giant tree that fell onto a house in Wilmington, North Carolina, on September 14. Two people died when the tree collapsed -- among the first storm-related deaths due to Hurricane Florence.

Electric poles that snapped in half sway from their wires in Wilmington on September 14.

Lee Casteen, left, and Try Hinton use a chainsaw to clear a tree blocking a road in Wilmington on September 14.

Rescue workers help a woman and her dog from a flooded house in James City on September 14.

Michael Nelson floats in a boat fashioned from a metal tub and fishing floats after the Neuse River flooded September 13 in New Bern.

Powerful winds and waves destroy portions of a boat dock and boardwalk in Atlantic Beach on September 13.

Residents wade through streets flooded by the Neuse River in New Bern on September 13.

Astronaut Alexander Gerst posted this photo on Twitter of Hurricane Florence saying, "It's chilling, even from space." Gerst is aboard the International Space Station.

Evacuees take refuge at Burgaw Middle School in Burgaw, North Carolina, on September 12.

Marge Brown says goodbye to her father, George Brown, before his evacuation from a health care home in Morehead City, North Carolina, on September 12.

Workers take boats out of the water in Wanchese Harbor in Wanchese, North Carolina, on September 12 as the Outer Banks prepares for Florence.

Astronaut Gerst also posted this photo to Twitter on September 12, saying, "Watch out, America! #HurricaneFlorence is so enormous, we could only capture her with a super wide-angle lens from the @Space_Station, 400 km directly above the eye. Get prepared on the East Coast, this is a no-kidding nightmare coming for you."

Jeff Bryant, left, and James Evans board the windows of a business in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Tuesday, September 11.

People fill sandbags in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, on September 11.

Both lanes of Interstate 26 flow westbound in North Charleston, South Carolina, toward Columbia as people evacuate inland on September 11.

Laura Gretch holds Frances, a Chihuahua mix, as she helps unload cats and dogs arriving at the Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington from Norfolk, Virginia, on September 11.

Veronica Gallardo and Robert Kelly place a plastic tarp over an American flag inside the Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia, on September 11.

A man eyes a store's bare bread shelves as people stock up on food in Myrtle Beach on September 11.

Chuck Ledford, left, watches cartoons on a phone with his daughter Misty as they seek shelter at Emma B. Trask Middle School in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Tuesday, September 11.

Scott Fleenor, bottom, and Jeremiah Trendell board over the windows of a business in Myrtle Beach.

In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath

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“This is a monumental disaster for our state,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday. “This is an epic storm that is still continuing because the rivers are still rising.”

Florence will probably dump another 2 to 5 inches of rain on central and southeastern North Carolina, CNN meteorologist Michael Guy said. But even when the rain lets up, water gushing downstream is expected to cause “catastrophic and historic river flooding” for days across portions of the Carolinas, the National Weather Service said.

‘There will be flooding like we’ve never seen before’

In addition to flooding across the Carolinas, flash-flood warnings were in effect Monday night across parts of far southern Virginia, where several tornadoes were confirmed Monday by storm spotters. One of those tornadoes hit Chesterfield County south of Richmond, causing a building collapse that killed one person.

Members of the North Carolina Task Force urban search and rescue team wade through a flooded neighborhood looking for residents who stayed behind as Florence continues to dump heavy rain in Fayetteville, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Related article A city-by-city look at Florence's rain and flooding

In North Carolina, residents are slowly being allowed back to their homes in some areas. On Tuesday morning, residents of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina – where Florence made landfall – will be allowed back on the island, and Craven County’s mandatory evacuation will be lifted. But officials warned that homes and roads may still not be accessible and people attempting to return should use extreme caution.

Elsewhere, however, officials continued to warn people not to travel in or through the state. Some interstates, including sections of I-95 and I-40, are impassible and remained closed.

A dam burst Monday night in Lilesville in south-central North Carolina, causing evacuations.

Meanwhile, about 488,551 customers in North Carolina and 16,385 in South Carolina still don’t have electricity. But the number of actual people without power is far greater, since a single customer can represent an entire family.

Emergency workers made at least 1,000 swift-water rescues in North Carolina by Monday, but many more people need help. And those trapped in floodwater could also be without power for days.

The situation is especially dire in Wilmington, a city so deeply submerged that no one could get in Sunday. State authorities eventually were able to open one road into the city of 117,000. But it’s not for residents to use to return.

Mike Pollack searches for a drain in the yard of his flooded home in Wilmington, North Carolina.

“We do not want evacuees to go back. There’s too much going on,” Cooper said.

The state’s Department of Transportation said it’s not clear how long that road will stay open, so authorities are trying to rush in supplies. And supplies such as fuel are in critical need. The Wilmington-based Cape Fear Public Utility Authority urged residents to fill bathtubs and containers with water in case it doesn’t have enough fuel to keep its water treatment plants running.

Pender County, just north of Wilmington, is also running out of fuel, Commissioner Jackie Newton said.

Evacuee loses car trying to get a flood victim food

Wilmington evacuee James Ammons can’t get a break.

James Ammons

He just moved to Wilmington a few weeks ago and already lost his car in the storm, he said.

“The reason why I lost my car is because there was a girl who hadn’t had food, and I wanted to get her some food,” Ammons said.

He tried to find safety at an emergency shelter, but it got flooded out. So he went to another emergency shelter – but that, too, got deluged.

“I’ve been to three shelters so far,” Ammons told CNN.

He said the stress is running high for evacuees who aren’t sure how badly their homes are damaged. But he said perspective is important.

“You have to be grateful for what you have right now.”

North Carolina Task Force members search for residents Sunday in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

River threatens to swallow Lumberton … again

In Lumberton, North Carolina – a city submerged by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 – residents were bracing for disaster as the Lumber River seeps through a patched-up gap in the levee system.

Lumberton, North Carolina, is dealing with post-hurricane flooding for the second time in two years.

The river is expected to crest around 25.7 feet. If it gets higher than 26 feet, “all bets are off,” city public works Deputy Director Corey Walters said.

Already, the floodwater in Lumberton has engulfed Bill Kozak’s home.

“I’m 5’9” and it got to the top of my chest in a lot of areas,” Kozak said.

He said he’s frustrated after dealing with two hurricane-induced floods in two years.

“It feels like there hasn’t been much done to prevent this from happening,” Kozak said.

Once he’s done repairing flood damage from Florence, Kozak said, he and his family are moving out of Lumberton.

‘Bring your pets with you!’

Some residents said they decided to stay because many emergency shelters don’t accept pets. But those who left without their pets faced the wrath of passers-by and social media users.

Freelance journalist Marcus DiPaola tweeted that he helped rescue six dogs in Leland, North Carolina, after they were left locked in an outdoor cage.

“We got them out, but by the time we left, the water was so high that they would have drowned. BRING YOUR PETS WITH YOU!” he wrote.

Causes of death include drowning and fallen trees

Of deaths linked to Florence, 25 were in North Carolina, six were in South Carolina and one was in Virginia. They include:

RIVER BEND, NC - SEPTEMBER 13: The Trent River (background) overflows its banks and floods a neighborhood during Hurricane Florence September 13, 2018 in River Bend, North Carolina. Some parts of River Bend and the neighboring New Bern could be flooded with a possible 9-foot storm surge as the Category 2 hurricane approaches the United States. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Related article How to help Hurricane Florence victims

– One-year-old Kaiden Lee-Welch was swept away by rushing waters Sunday and later found dead in Union County, North Carolina.

– Also in Union County, the body of an elderly man was found by his submerged car.

– A 3-month-old who died when a tree fell on a mobile home in Dallas, North Carolina.

– A man who died when a his truck hit an overpass support beam on Interstate 20 in Kershaw County, South Carolina.

Where Florence’s remnants will go next

Russ Lewis covers his eyes from a gust of wind and a blast of sand as Hurricane Florence approaches Myrtle Beach, S.C., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Related article The staggering numbers behind Florence's wrath

On Monday afternoon, Florence was centered about 85 miles west southwest of Morgantown, West Virginia, the National Weather Service said. It was moving north at 13 mph, whipping up 25-mph winds. Mountainous parts of southern Virginia are now at risk of flooding, mudslides and landslides due to Florence’s heavy rains on Monday, said Guy, the meteorologist.

The storm is expected to move north through the Charlottesville, Virginia, area before heading toward the Ohio Valley, hitting West Virginia and western Pennsylvania.

By Tuesday, “the remnants of Florence will be pushed towards the Northeast, where areas from northern Pennsylvania through central New York towards Boston could pick up some heavy rain,”

CNN’s Kaylee Hartung reported from Wilmington, and Cassie Spodak reported from Lumberton. CNN’s Chuck Johnston, Spencer Parlier, Judson Jones and Artemis Moshtaghian also contributed to this report.