A
third storm-related death has happened in Cumberland County in the
aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, the state joint information center said
Saturday.
A 63-year-old man
died Wednesday when he collapsed after getting out of his vehicle, said
Pam Walker, a public information officer for the state. The confirmation
the death was storm-related was made by the public health division of
the Department of Health and Human Services, a normal protocol during
incidents such as Hurricane Matthew, following consultation with the
emergency responders.
The
governor’s office announced the death on Friday. There were no other
details on how the man’s death was storm-related. His name has not been
released.
Spokeswoman Sally Shutt said the county also had no other details.
Floodwaters
and vehicles were involved in the other two deaths. Isabelle Ralls, 81,
was found Monday afternoon found in her 1991 Ford Taurus near Rhodes
Pond in the northern part of the county. Thursday, the body of Tarry
Faircloth, 53, was found less than 100 yards from his 1997 Dodge Avenger
at the Clinton Road entrance ramp to Interstate 95.
The
Cape Fear region has had 11 deaths related to the storm. Three people
were killed in Robeson County, two each in Bladen and Sampson counties,
and one in Columbus.
Columbus:
Danny Gale Chestnut, 70, of Swamp Fox Highway East in the Nakina
community of Tabor City, was found about 50 yards from where his
abandoned pickup at Gore’s Chapel in Nakina. His body was found
Tuesday.10/11
Sampson: Solomon
Hickmond, 30, of Garland, died Oct. 8 after his 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
hit a tree near N.C. 411. The only details on the other death, announced
by the governor’s office Oct. 9, indicated a car attempted to pass
through a flooded road.
Bladen:
Two people were killed and one escaped a vehicle traveling in Clarkton
on Rosindale Road, which collapsed leaving the car submerged in water.
Shawn Dale Kemp, 44, and Juwan Rolando McKoy Carter, 22, died.
Robeson:
The name of a Fairmont man found dead in his home hasn’t been released.
He appeared to rely on an oxygen tank and could not escape the house.
His death was announced Thursday by the governor’s office. Terry
Strickland of Lumberton died when his car was swept off N.C. 211 by
water. His death was announced Tuesday. Charles Ivey, 76, of Lumberton
died Monday when he fell into water at his home on West Fifth Street.
Statewide,
the death toll stood at 26 late Saturday evening. In addition to the
Cape Fear region counties, there have been four deaths in Johnston
County, three in Lenoir, two each in Wilson and Wayne, and one each in
Pitt, Rowan, Gates and Wake counties.
The
Associated Press last week reported a Harnett County death connected to
the storm, but governor’s office press releases do not indicate one in
the county.
Nationally, 43 people have died as a result of the storm.
Gov.
Pat McCrory said Saturday that the death toll in North Carolina is at
26 from Hurricane Matthew and its floodwaters, including two in
Cumberland County. Crews continue to work on damaged Interstate 95 in
Robeson County, with no timetable for when the major North-South route
will reopen.
Almost all the
deaths in North Carolina have been from people driving or walking into
flood waters and being swept away. In Cumberland, Isabelle Ralls, 81,
died near Rhodes Pond in the northeast, and Tarry Faircloth, 53, was
killed off Clinton Road east of the Cape Fear River.
Interstate
95 remains closed in both directions around Lumberton, despite crews
working around the clock to fix bridges, pavement and clear debris.
Crews can't give an estimate on when the East Coast's main north-south
highway will reopen at that spot.
"We have to see the inspections, we have to finish the engineering, we have to finish the construction," McCrory said.
McCrory
talked a lot about recovery at his Saturday news conference - one week
after the hurricane dumped more than a foot of rain 100 miles inland
causing massive flooding in the eastern part of the state. Towns such as
Princeville, Lumberton and Fair Bluff remain under water, and not all
rivers have crested.
Early next
week, the governor plans to release a detailed plan on how North
Carolina will rebuild, including how to pay for the effort. But he said
serious problems remain.
"There are still many, may difficult days ahead for North Carolina," McCrory said.
Two
babies have been delivered in a mobile hospital unit, his office said,
commending the Med 1 Mobile Hospital of Charlotte that is stationed in
Lumberton.
The Lumber River is
receding throughout Robeson County, but is not expected to drop below
major flood stage until Monday afternoon. The Neuse River at Goldsboro
reached record levels this week and is not expected to drop below major
flood stage until Sunday evening.
The
Neuse River at Kinston also reached record high levels and is not
expected to drop below major flood stage until late Wednesday. The Tar
River is expected to drop below major flood stage at Tarboro this
evening, but it is not expected to drop below major flood stage in
Greenville until Tuesday morning.
The
governor's office said the number of statewide power outages continues
to drop, down to 13,366 from a peak of over 800,000 on Sunday. A
majority of these, approximately 12,000, are located in Robeson County.
The
North Carolina National Guard has 1,136 reservists activated. There
have been 2,333 water rescues to date, but there were no rescues
reported overnight.
Over 660
roads remain closed through central and eastern North Carolina due to
damage or flooding, the governor's office said. Drivers are being told
not to rely on GPS devices for closure and detour information. Call 511,
download the ReadyNC app or visit ReadyNC.org for the latest road closure updates.
The
governor said that officials are continuing to work with FEMA to
develop temporary housing solutions to those who have been impacted.
Since the state received its disaster declaration Monday, the federal
government has dispersed nearly $9 million to disaster survivors through
the Individual Assistance Program.
The
U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved North Carolina’s request
for a hot meal waiver in all 100 counties, allowing Food and Nutrition
Services recipients to purchase hot meals prepared for immediate
consumption from authorized Electronic Benefits Transfer retailers.
The
governor warned citizens to be on the lookout for fraudulent activity
and scam operators and that the State Bureau of Investigation will
pursue criminal charges. He also warned citizens to verify the license
of any contractor prior to hiring and to only give money to credible
relief efforts.
Flooding triggered by the hurricane has killed at least 43 people in the United States and more than 500 people in Haiti
Meanwhile,
drought continues to creep into areas of North Carolina west of
Charlotte, which saw almost no rain from Hurricane Matthew.
Hendersonville, a city of about 15,000 in the state's western mountains,
plans to ask residents to begin conserving water next week. The far
western part of the state is in a severe drought.
Updates from Cumberland County authorities:
Six
teams of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster survivor
assistance specialists arrived Friday in Cumberland County. They visited
the four emergency shelters to make sure the residents there have
registered for assistance. Three teams will return to the shelters on
Saturday.
Residents who have
applied for FEMA assistance will be contacted first by a FEMA inspector.
These inspectors must show their credentials and will not ask for any
personal identifying information such as Social Security or bank account
numbers. Call law enforcement if you are suspicious of someone claiming
to be a FEMA official.
Shelter Update
As
of 6 p.m. Friday, there were 132 shelter residents at the four sites.
The shelter at South View Middle School moved this afternoon back to
South View High School because of a failing generator.
Electrical Permit Waivers
For
residents who have lost electricity to their primary service, which
includes the riser and meter base, the fees associated with this permit
will be waived by Cumberland County through Oct. 28. This fee waiver
does not remove the requirement for an electrical permit and inspection
by the Cumberland County Planning & Inspections Department.
All
work associated with the electrical system shall be performed by
individuals licensed with the state of North Carolina for electrical
contracting. If there are any questions, call the Cumberland County
Planning & Inspection Department at 321-6648 or 321-6656.
Scam Alerts
The
North Carolina Attorney General’s office warns residents to watch out
for scams following Hurricane Matthew. The warning covers scammers
impersonating FEMA and power company officials, insurance adjusters,
home repair fraud, charity scams and price gouging.
Residents are urged to report storm-related scams to the Attorney General’s Office at ncdoj.gov
or 1-877-5-No-SCAM (919-716-6000 if calling from an out-of-state
number). If you suspect someone who shows up at your home is trying to
commit fraud, call local law enforcement immediately.