Four Dead As Florence Batters Carolina Coast [VIDEO]

The Associated Press reports:



Blowing ashore with howling 90 mph winds, Hurricane Florence splintered buildings, trapped hundreds of people and swamped entire communities along the Carolina coast Friday in what could be just the opening act in a watery, two-part, slow-motion disaster. At least four people were killed.

As 400-mile-wide Florence pounded away at the coast with torrential downpours and surging seas, rescue crews used boats to reach scores of people besieged by rising waters along a river. More than 60 others had to be rescued as a cinderblock motel collapsed.

A mother and baby were killed when a tree fell on a house, according to a tweet from Wilmington police. Also, one person was killed while plugging in a generator, and a man was knocked to the ground while outside and died, authorities said.