Offbeat Fears of major flooding in Fayetteville as Florence moves north

Robert Buxton, of the Department of Public Works, opens storm drains in a flooded industrial area, Sept. 18 in Derry, N.H.

Residents wait in line as the sun rises on Sept 18 over Wrightsville Beach, N.C. Residents were allowed to return to the island to check on their homes after Hurricane Florence.

Members of New York Urban Search and Rescue Task Force One help evacuate people in an area flooded with waters from the Little River on Sept. 18, in Spring Lake, N.C.

Troops work to pull a truck out of flood waters that washed away on Chicken Road outside of Lumberton, N.C. on Sept. 17. Many roads in the swamp lands between Lumberton and Pembroke are underwater after massive rain from Hurricane Florence. 

Florence likely to expose gaps in flood insurance

After nearly a decade of declines, more Americans are buying flood insurance. NEW YORK — The number of Americans with flood insurance is on the rise, yet Hurricane Florence is likely to make it painfully clear that too many homeowners in the Carolinas and other vulnerable regions remain unprotected.

Jimmy Shackleford (74) of Burgaw transports his son Jim Shackleford and his wife Lisa, and their pets Izzy, Bella and Nala (in the cage) in the bucket of his tractor as the Northeast Cape Fear River breaks its banks during flooding after Hurricane Florence in Burgaw, N.C., on Sept. 17. 

A cat clings to the side of a trailer amidst flood waters before it was saved as the Northeast Cape Fear River breaks its banks after Hurricane Florence in Burgaw, N.C., on Sept. 17. 

S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster, right, and National Guard Lt. Col. Jay McElveen give thumbs-up to rescue workers after Hurricane Florence struck the Carolinas, on Sept. 17, near Wallace, S.C. 

Members of the South Carolina National Guard build a sandbag barrier on highway 501 along Lake Busbee in Conway, S.C., on Sept. 17, after the passing of Hurricane Florence. The City of Conway halted its previous efforts to stop the construction of the sandbag dam after being assured by state and county officials on Sept. 17 the barrier would not cause additional flooding into Conway. 

A Illinois National Guard helicopter takes off from a shopping center parking lot after delivering supplies for the Wilmington Hospital, on Sept. 17 in Wilmington, N.C.. Most roads leading to the city are blocked by flooded roads ever since Hurricane Florence hit the area as a category 1 storm causing widespread power outages and flooding across N.C.

Workers fix a bridge damaged by Hurricane Florence, now downgraded to a tropical depression in New Bern, N.C. on Sept. 17.

People use a road as a boat ramp after Hurricane Florence struck the Carolinas on Sept. 17 in Conway, S.C. Many rivers in the Carolinas are approaching record flood stages and their levels will continue to rise through the week. 

William Larymore, right, of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and Salvatore Cirencione, of the State Law Enforcement Division, help resident Franklin Bessemer, who lives on the river, onto the pier on the Waccamaw River in Conway, S.C., on Sept. 17. Bessemer's boat had quit while he was checking on his home as residents evacuate. The river is expected to flood in the coming days due heavy rains from Hurricane Florence. 

A couple walks with their daughter after checking on their flooded home in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Spring Lake, N.C., on Sept. 17.

Two people sit on the roof of a vehicle in floodwaters after Hurricane Florence struck the Carolinas on Sept. 17, near Wallace, S.C.

"We're not through this storm": Florence rescues by air, boat and foot

The death toll from Florence climbed Saturday to at least 12 . Some have been killed by fallen trees -- others have died on flooded roads.Nearly one million homes and businesses in the Carolinas have lost power. On Saturday, the mayor of Wilmington said it could take weeks to restore electricity.President Trump and Vice President Pence received updates on the storm at the white house today. The president plans to travel to North Carolina sometime soon.

A man paddles a kayak in a flooded neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence on Sept. 17, in Fayetteville, N.C.

In this U.S. Army National Guard handout, a U.S. Air Force Security Forces Airmen assigned to the South Carolina Air National Guard assists citizens during evacuation efforts as the Black Creek river begins to crest on Sept. 17, in Florence, S.C.

People walk along the walk board during the sunset after the pass of Hurricane Florence, now downgraded to a tropical depression on Sept. 17, in Washington, N.C.

Houses sit in floodwater caused by Hurricane Florence, in this aerial picture, on the outskirts of Lumberton, North Carolina, on Sept. 17.

A search and rescue task force patrols a flooded region by boat over a fully submerged road in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Castle Hayne, North Carolina, on Sept. 17.

What appears to be a small levy breached due to storm waters from hurricane Florence in Rocky Point , NC., on Sept. 17.

Willie Schubert of Pollocksville, N.C., cradle his dog Lucky as he waits to be rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew off a stranded van in Pollocksville, on Sept. 17, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.

People gather on a truck in floodwater caused by Hurricane Florence, now downgraded to a tropical depression, in Lumberton, North Carolina, on Sept. 17.

Brent Lamb, right, and his daughter Laci, 4, are removed from a flooded neighborhood by members of the U.S. Coast Guard Shallow Water Rescue Team in Lumberton, N.C., on Sept. 17, following flooding from Hurricane Florence.

David Darden Jr., carries out personal items from his mother's flooded home in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Spring Lake, N.C., on Sept. 17.

School buses, seen from the air, sit in floodwater caused by Hurricane Florence in Lumberton, North Carolina, on Sept. 17.

A member of The Cajun Navy navigates flood waters before attempting to cross a flooded road with a vehicle after Tropical Storm Florence caused flash floods in Dillon, South Carolina, on Sept. 17.

Airplanes sit in floodwaters at Curtis Brown Field in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Elizabethtown, N.C., on Sept. 17.

Bob Richling carries Iris Darden, 84, out of her flooded home as her daughter-in-law, Pam Darden, gathers her belongings in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Spring Lake, N.C., on Sept. 17.

Florence death toll at 15, including 2 from carbon monoxide

The death toll attributed to Florence stands at 15, including 10 in North Carolina and five in South Carolina.—A driver died Sunday when a pickup truck struck an overpass support beam in Kershaw County, South Carolina, state troopers said.—23-year-old Michael Dalton Prince died Sunday after the truck he was riding in lost control on a flooded two-lane road in Georgetown County, South Carolina, said Coroner Kenny Johnson. The driver and another passenger escaped after the truck landed upside down in a flooded ditch.

 Road closed signs sit on Rt. 40 due to flooding, on Sept. 17, in Wilmington, N.C.

A photo taken with a drone shows the floodwaters from Hurricane Florence beginning to recede in Fayetteville, N.C., on Sept. 17. 

Members of the Coast Guard help a stranded motorist in the flood waters caused by Hurricane Florence in Lumberton, N.C., on Sept. 16. 

Erick Martinez grills chicken on the porch of his home as floodwaters from Hurricane Florence rise in the Magnolia Mobile Home Park north of Lumberton, N.C., on Sept. 16. 

Lineman works to restore the power and light in Dillon, S.C. on Sept. 16.

Floodwaters from Hurricane Florence rush down Cool Spring Street, inundating the St. James Church in Fayetteville, N.C., on Sept. 16 

Damaged mobile homes from Hurricane Florence in Jacksonville, N.C., on Sept. 16. 

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, on Sept. 16, in Fayetteville, N.C.

Florence to cause misery for homeowners without flood insurance

The massive flooding caused by Florence will cause financial hardship for homeowners that don't have flood insurance.Estimates from insurance analysts and actuaries show an alarmingly high percentage of homeowners — both in coastal towns and those far inland — that are underinsured for a water-driven natural disaster as destructive as Florence.

A tourist boat and sail boat are run aground around a railroad in New Bern, N.C., on Sept. 16.

Coast Guard Road leading to the south end of Emerald Isle is seen after Hurricane Florence hit, on Sept, 16.

Iva Williamson, 4, peers behind her as she joins neighbors and pets in fleeing rising flood waters from Hurricane Florence, on Sept., 16, in Leland, N.C.

Oliver Kelly cries as he is carried off the sheriff's airboat during rescue from rising flood waters in Leland, N.C., on Sept. 16.

A collapsed road is seen in New Bern on Sept. 16.

Homes and a marina are flooded as a result of high tides and rain from Hurricane Florence which moved through the area in Jacksonville, N.C., on Sept. 16.

Coast Guard rescuers help Joe Williams out of the floodwater on Sept. 16, in Lumberton, N.C.

A car travels past a sinkhole on Sept. 16, in downtown Wilmington, N.C.

A partially submerged car is pictured on a flooded street on Sept. 16, in Piney Green, N.C.

Florence has made Wilmington, N.C., an island cut off from the rest of the world

There are no roadways open to the city, the airports and port are closed.WILMINGTON, N.C. —This city has always embraced the water, with a lively riverfront on one side and the ocean on the other. But in the wake of Hurricane Florence, water has rendered Wilmington an island, shut off from the rest of the world.

US Coast Guard Petty Officer Don Tantanella patrols a neighborhood during the storm on Sept. 16, in Lumberton, N.C.

Members of the North Carolina Task Force urban search and rescue team check cars in a flooded neighborhood looking for residents who stayed behind during rains on Sept. 16, in Fayetteville.

Chicken farm buildings are inundated with floodwater on Sept. 16, near Trenton, N.C.

Two people in a canoe paddle through a street that was flooded by Florence on Sept. 16, north of New Bern, N.C.

Rising flood waters overtake a gas station on Sept. 15 in Lumberton, N.C.

Obrad Gavrilovic peers out the window of his flooded home while considering whether to leave with his wife and pets, as waters rise on Sept. 15 in Bolivia, North Carolina.

A home is damaged after a large tree fell on it, on Sept. 16 in Wilmington, North Carolina. 

Bystanders help a stranded motorist after floodwaters from Florence flooded his car along Route 17 on Sept. 15 near Holly Ridge, North Carolina. 

A boat lays smashed against a car garage, deposited there by the high winds and storm surge from Hurricane Florence along the Neuse River, on Sept. 15 in New Bern, NC. 

'There is no access to Wilmington' as flooding overwhelms North Carolina

At least 17 people have died in the wreckage of the hurricane-turned-tropical depression that dumped 30 inches of rain in parts of the state.(Pictured) 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, on Sept., 16, in Fayetteville, N.C.

A pickup truck is seen submerged in floodwater on Sept. 15 in Lumberton, North Carolina.

People wait in line to fill up their gas cans at a gas station that was damaged when Hurricane Florence hit the area, on Sept. 15 in Wilmington, NC. 

Members of Colorado Task Force 1 on the swift water team, head out to check on residents during Hurricane Florence on Sept. 15 in Lumberton, NC. 

Rescuer John Bridges with the Cajun Navy rides a boat on a trailer after completing a rescue, on Sept. 15 in Lumberton, NC.

During a driving rain, Maggie Belgie of The Cajun Navy, carries a child evacuating a flooding trailer community during Hurricane Florence, on Sept. 15 in Lumberton, NC. 

A car is stalled in flowing water, as first responders and firefighters try to check for people inside, as Hurricane Florence passes on Sept. 15 in the town of Clinton, North Carolina. 

Jessie Lawrence pulls her daughter Kinsley Spaid on Sept. 15 in Davis, North Carolina.

Flood waters lap at a “high water” warning sign that was partially pushed over by Hurricane Florence on Sept. 15 in Oak Island, North Carolina.

An injured pelican is pictured on Sept. 15 in Carolina Beach, North Carolina.  

Flood waters on Sept. 15 inundate the town of Engelhard, North Carolina.

Bob Steigmeyerover starts to cut up a large tree that fell on his house after Florence hit the area, on Sept. 15 in Wilmington, NC.

Florence leaves 'a monumental disaster' in the Carolinas -- with more trouble to come

Even as Florence leaves the Carolinas, the floodwaters and death toll keep rising. The storm once known as Hurricane Florence has killed 20 people, trapped hundreds more and made parts of the Carolinas impassable. But forecasters say the worst flooding is yet to come."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."Residential streets have turned into rivers. Parts of freeways -- dotted with rescue boats -- have morphed into free-flowing waterways.

Kim Adams makes her way to her home that is surrounded by flood waters after Florence passed through the area on Sept. 15 in Southport, NC.

A damaged house is seen after Florence struck on Sept. 15 in Winnabow, NC.

A flooded house is seen during after Hurricane Florence struck, on Sept. 15 in Duplin County, NC.

The courtyard at Queen's Point condos is filled with residents' belongings after the storm surge from Hurricane Florence tore open the lower floors with a four-foot high storm surge on Sept. 15 in New Bern, NC.

A section of the Highway 17 exit ramp remains closed a day after Hurricane Florence's storm surge washed it out on Sept. 15 in New Bern, NC.

Bill Wheeler makes a video recording of the damge to his store, Nautical Wheelers, after the storm surge from Hurricane Florence filled it with four feet of water on Sept. 15 in New Bern, NC.

Rescue team members Sgt. Matt Locke, left, and Sgt. Nick Muhar, right, from the North Carolina National Guard 1/120th battalion, evacuates a family as the rising floodwaters from Florence threatens their home on Sept. 14 in New Bern, N.C.

High waters flood Market and Water Streets as Florence comes ashore on Sept. 14 in Wilmington, NC.

40 members of the National Guard and 100 volunteers fill sand bags and build a wall across train tracks where flood waters flowed into Lumberton in behind West Lumberton Baptist Church on Sept 14 in Lumberton, NC. North Carolina State Senator Danny Earl Britt, Jr. organized the action through facebook in defiance of CSX Transportation but with permission of the Governor to try and prevent major flooding in the area. 

40 members of the National Guard and 100 volunteers fill sand bags and build a wall across train tracks where flood waters flowed into Lumberton behind West Lumberton Baptist Church on Sept 14 in Lumberton, NC. 

A gas pump lies on there ground after strong winds toppled it after Hurricane Florence made landfall on Sept. 14 in Wilmington, N.C.

Volunteers from all over North Carolina help rescue residents from their flooded homes during Hurricane Florence on Sept. 14 in New Bern, NC.

Members of the Boone County Fire Rescue team check for occupants in a home surrounded by flood waters after Hurricane Florence passed through the area, on Sept.  14 in Bolivia, NC. 

Volunteers from all over North Carolina help rescue residents and their pets from their flooded homes, on Sept. 14 in New Bern, NC. 

Neighborhoods are flooded after the storm surge from Hurricane Florence flooded the Neuse River, on Sept. 14 in New Bern, NC. 

Boats pushed away from the dock are seen on a street during the passing of the Hurricane, on Sept. 14 in the town of New Bern, NC. 

A collapsed tree is seen during the Hurricane Florence on Sept. 14 in New Bern, NC.

Rescue workers from Township No. 7 Fire Department and volunteers from the Civilian Crisis Response Team help rescue a woman and her dog from their flooded home during Hurricane Florence Sept. 14 in James City, NC.

A resident climbs over a tree that fell onto a road as he tours his neighborhood after Hurricane Florence hit Wilmington, N.C., on Sept. 14.

Rising waters threaten downtown Washington, N.C. as the Pimlico River overruns its' banks, on Sept. 14. 

Leaves, branches and other debris surround and cover a sports car after Hurricane Florence hit Wilmington, N.C., on Sept. 14.

Electric poles that snapped in half sway from their wires as Hurricane Florence comes ashore in Wilmington, N.C., on Sept. 14.

Debris from Hurricane Florence covers a street in downtown New Bern, N.C., on Sept. 14.

A videographer films fallen traffic lights after the arrival of Hurricane Florence in Wilmington, N.C., on Sept. 14.

Volunteers from the Civilian Crisis Response Team help rescue three children from their flooded home Sept., 14, in James City, N.C.

This satellite image provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Florence off the eastern coast of the United States on Sept. 13.