N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory said citizens of the state need to be cautious and not think just because the weather is clear that the situation is clear and everything is safe..
“Blue skies have returned to North Carolina, but dangerous conditions remain,” McCrory said. “As we have learned from previous hurricanes, the aftermath of the storm is often the deadliest. People who live near rivers, streams and levees must take extreme caution as the greatest threat to human life is rivers flooding in the coming days. Listen to your local officials and take all evacuation orders seriously.”
Eleven North Carolinians have died as a result of the storm, including Charles Luther Strickland, 74, of Dunn, according to the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office. Strickland reportedly drowned after he drove past a barricade and was swept away into a creek. At least 23 people have died Matthew-related deaths in the U.S., while over 900 have died in Haiti.
“As we have learned from past experience, the most deaths occur after the storm has passed,” said state emergency management director Mike Sprayberry. “Citizens can reduce their risk of injury or harm by avoiding driving through flooded roads and knowing what action to take should flooding occur. And if you do find yourself in a life-threatening emergency, dial 911 and emergency responders will be deployed as quickly as possible.”
State and federal resources have been at work as a result of the storm. More than 600 N.C. National Guard troops were activated over the weekend to help respond to the flooding. Much of the it came from rivers overflowing, particularly the Lumber, Cape Fear, Neuse and Tar rivers. The town of Lumberton, about 70 miles from Sanford, had high standing water throughout the afternoon Monday after a levee break stranded nearly 1,500 residents.
Power outages statewide decreased from 800,000 on Sunday to just over 465,000 as of Monday morning. By 5 p.m., Central Electric Membership Corporation reported 1,141 customers still without power in Lee County, while Duke Energy had 5,399 area customers without electricity. More Duke Energy numbers include 1,278 Chatham County customers, 16,534 customers from Harnett County and 10,961 Moore County customers without power.
Around 12:45 p.m. Monday, Sanford city officials lifted the boil water advisory that was put in place at 10 p.m. Saturday. The advisory told residents to not use city water for consumption due to a line main break in the water system. The break was fixed during the day Sunday and testing was done on the water for 24 hours. No bacterial contamination was found and the water is now safe to consume.
Lee County Schools will be closed for students and staff today after being closed Monday. The closure is due to the cleanup efforts still taking place across the county. Several schools lost power over the weekend and were still without electricity on Sunday afternoon.
“From our conversations with the Sheriff and Emergency Management, along with our own staff's observations as they have ridden the county, there are still trees and power lines down throughout the county which would affect our bus routes,” said Sharon Spence, LCS’ public information officer, in an email Monday afternoon. “A couple schools are still without power and maintenance crews are making some minor repairs at some schools.”
Multiple school systems across the state closed on Monday and some closings will continue throughout the week. Harnett, Moore and Cumberland counties’ schools are closed Tuesday as well. Robeson County Schools are closed today and Wednesday. Wayne County Schools are closed for the whole week due to Matthew’s effects.
There are several major road closings throughout the state. Current detours from the north and southbound lanes of Interstate 95, which was closed from Exit 13 and Exit 73 due to flooding conditions, will push traffic through U.S. Highway 1 in Sanford, the N.C. State Highway Patrol announced Monday afternoon. Interstate 40 was closed in several locations in Johnston County in and around Benson as well as in both directions near Exit 355 in Sampson County.
The Department of Transportation has utilized more than 1,100 employees statewide, according to a press release, in response to Matthew.
“Safety remains our top priority as we work to address the damage caused by major flooding on roadways,” said Nick Tennyson, N.C.’s transportation secretary. “While the storm has passed, many roads are still impassable, and conditions in some areas are worsening as floodwaters rise.”
While Sanford and Lee County did not issue any curfews or evacuations, other cities and counties in the state did over the weekend. All residents in the Neuse River Basin in Kinston were under mandatory evacuation orders, while Greenville and Princeville had mandatory evacuations over the weekend. Dare and Halifax counties imposed curfews on Sunday, as did Princeville.
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©2016 The Sanford Herald (Sanford, N.C.)
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