Danger lingers even as floodwaters begin to recede across the Carolinas in the wake of Hurricane Florence, weather officials warn

  • Nearly all rivers and waterways in North and South Carolina are expected to crest on Sunday, officials say
  • However, the National Weather Service warns it may take weeks for flooding to recede in the hardest-hit areas
  • NWS meteorologist Bob Oravec said: 'Damage can still be done. It'll be a slow drop' 
  • North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper spoke of the 'treacherous' floodwaters on Saturday
  • He said  nine of the state's river gauges are at major flood stage and four others are at moderate flood stage
  • It's been over a week since Florence made landfall, unleashing up to 3ft of rain across parts of the Carolinas
  • The latest reports attributed at least 43 deaths to the storm, more than half of them vehicle-related
  • Shocking satellite images show the extent of the flooding that's continues to cause damage in communities

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Nearly all rivers and waterways in North and South Carolina will crest on Sunday, but officials warn most will remain at dangerous flood levels through the next several days.

It's been a week and a half since Hurricane Florence made landfall on the East Coast, causing catastrophic flood damage across hundreds of miles and leaving at least 43 people dead.

The National Weather Service has now warned that floodwaters in the hardest-hit areas could take weeks to recede.

Swaths of rivers near the Atlantic coast will not crest for days to come, such as the lower Cape Fear River near Wilmington, North Carolina, according to Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the NWS's Weather Prediction Center in College Park Maryland.

'This isn't over,' Oravec said early Sunday. 'Large sections of rivers near the coast won't start cresting until at least early in the week, maybe later.'

'All that water is going to take a good while to recede. Damage can still be done. It'll be a slow drop.'

As floodwaters begin to recede across areas of North and South Carolina ravaged by Hurricane Florence, officials warn conditions will remain dangerous for at least the next several days. Pictured: Brittons Neck, South Carolina resident Brian Terry surveys the flooding around his home on Saturday

As floodwaters begin to recede across areas of North and South Carolina ravaged by Hurricane Florence, officials warn conditions will remain dangerous for at least the next several days. Pictured: Brittons Neck, South Carolina resident Brian Terry surveys the flooding around his home on Saturday

Nearly all rivers and waterways in North and South Carolina are expected to crest by Sunday. Pictured: A boat navigates floodwaters Saturday in Brittons Neck, South Carolina, as residents wait for the Little Pee Dee River to crest

Nearly all rivers and waterways in North and South Carolina are expected to crest by Sunday. Pictured: A boat navigates floodwaters Saturday in Brittons Neck, South Carolina, as residents wait for the Little Pee Dee River to crest

Hundreds of roads across areas of the Carolinas ravaged by Hurricane Florence remain closed more than a week after the storm made landfall, dumping up to three feet of rain in some areas

Hundreds of roads across areas of the Carolinas ravaged by Hurricane Florence remain closed more than a week after the storm made landfall, dumping up to three feet of rain in some areas

This combination of photos shows a member of the North Carolina Task Force urban search and rescue team on Sept. 16, 2018, left, and on Sept. 19, 2018, after the water receded in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Fayetteville, North Carolina
This combination of photos shows a member of the North Carolina Task Force urban search and rescue team on Sept. 16, 2018, left, and on Sept. 19, 2018, after the water receded in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Fayetteville, North Carolina
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This combination of photos shows street in Fayetteville, North Carolina, overwhelmed by several feet of floodwaters one week ago September 16 (left) and then again just three days later on September 19 after the flooding had receded almost entirely

A flooded farm, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, is seen in this satellite image over the area surrounding Wallace, North Carolina on Thursday
A flooded farm, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, is seen in this satellite image over the area surrounding Wallace, North Carolina on Thursday
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A farm in Wallace, North Carolina, is pictured before Hurricane Florence hit (left) and after catastrophic flooding overwhelmed the area on Thursday (right)

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper spoke of the 'treacherous' floodwaters on Saturday, warning that nine of the state's river gauges are at major flood stage and four others are at moderate flood stage.

Cooper said the flooding continues to make travel dangerous in hard-hit areas, urging residents to avoid driving east of Interstate 95 and south of US-70. 

The governor also cautioned residents to be on the lookout for future flood warnings and evacuation orders. 

Meanwhile, remnants of the once mighty storm, brought heavy rains northwest up the Ohio Valley, prompting flood watches and warnings from Texas to Virginia and Maryland, at least through Monday, the weather service said.

Officials in towns and cities in both North and South Carolina were filling sandbags and finalizing evacuation plans, eyeing some rivers that are swollen by heavy rainfall on Saturday.

In Conway, South Carolina, where President Donald Trump visited this week, images posted by the city on Saturday showed water lapping at homes in an area where residents were being evacuated.

In Lee's Landing in Horry County, some residents used boats to get to safety as the Waccamaw River spilled into neighborhoods, a local CBS affiliate reported.

'If you can get out, get out,' Joseph Tanner, the county's fire rescue chief, said in an interview with WBTW News 13.

Dozens of homes are seen surrounded by floodwaters in Pender County, North Carolina, on Saturday

Dozens of homes are seen surrounded by floodwaters in Pender County, North Carolina, on Saturday

Candi Cisson, left, and dozens of other residents of Brittons Neck, South Carolina, have been trapped in their homes as floodwaters continued to rise over the weekend

Candi Cisson, left, and dozens of other residents of Brittons Neck, South Carolina, have been trapped in their homes as floodwaters continued to rise over the weekend

An officer with the South Carolina State Highway Patrol marks the water on state road 22 near Conway as the Waccamaw River swelled past record levels on Saturday

An officer with the South Carolina State Highway Patrol marks the water on state road 22 near Conway as the Waccamaw River swelled past record levels on Saturday

Flooding from Sutton Lake has washed away part of a roadway in Wilmington, one of the hardest-hit communities

Flooding from Sutton Lake has washed away part of a roadway in Wilmington, one of the hardest-hit communities

Pictured: Luis Gomez rescues baby chicks from dangerous flooding in Longs, South Carolina, on Friday

Pictured: Luis Gomez rescues baby chicks from dangerous flooding in Longs, South Carolina, on Friday

Residents of Longs were warned floodwaters would continue to rise through the weekend before beginning to recede 

Residents of Longs were warned floodwaters would continue to rise through the weekend before beginning to recede 

More than two dozen flood gauges in North and South Carolina showed flooding on Saturday, the NWS said.

About 5,000 people across North Carolina have been rescued by boat or helicopter since the storm made landfall, twice as many as in Hurricane Matthew two years ago, according to state officials. Thousands of people remained in shelters.

Nearly 550 roads remained closed, the state's department of transportation said, warning motorists not to travel in 17 southeastern counties worst-hit by Florence.

Duke Energy Corp said on Friday that breaches in a cooling lake dam forced it to shut down its natural gas-fired L.V. Sutton plant in North Carolina. The utility said it could not rule out the possibility that coal ash from a dump adjacent to the plant, which formerly burned coal, might be flowing into the nearby Cape Fear River.

In this combination of photos, Cape Fear River flows under the Person Street bridge on Sept. 15, 2018, left, and on Sept. 19, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Fayetteville
In this combination of photos, Cape Fear River flows under the Person Street bridge on Sept. 15, 2018, left, and on Sept. 19, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Fayetteville
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In this combination of photos, Cape Fear River flows through Fayetteville ahead of the storm on September 15 (left) and after the massive amounts of rainfall on September 19

Henderson Field Airport in Wallace is pictured before Florence hit
The airport is pictured Thursday after flooding overwhelmed the area
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Henderson Field Airport in Wallace is seen before and after severe flooding hit North Carolina

Coal ash can contaminate water and harm fish and wildlife.

The company is testing the water for possible contamination, Duke officials said in a release Saturday.

'The company is bringing in additional construction material from across the state to repair the breach as soon as the floodwaters recede,' the release said.

The flooding from Florence has also caused 21 hog 'lagoons,' which store manure from pig farms, to overflow in North Carolina, possibly contaminating standing water, according to state officials. North Carolina is one of the leading hog-producing states in the country.

Several sewer systems in the region also have released untreated or partly treated sewage and storm water into waterways over the last week, local media reported.

Experts say flooding at hog farms in North Carolina could spread harmful bacteria to surrounding areas

Experts say flooding at hog farms in North Carolina could spread harmful bacteria to surrounding areas

Last week two farms reported that their lagoons had breached, two others said that they had structural damage and another thirteen said that there was hog waste flowing away

Last week two farms reported that their lagoons had breached, two others said that they had structural damage and another thirteen said that there was hog waste flowing away

A flooded chicken farm, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, is seen in this satellite image over the area surrounding Wallace, North Carolina taken on Thursday
A flooded chicken farm, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, is seen in this satellite image over the area surrounding Wallace, North Carolina taken on Thursday
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A flooded chicken farm, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, is seen in this satellite image over the area surrounding Wallace, North Carolina taken on Thursday

Dramatic before and after satellite images show the extent to which entire areas of North Carolina were inundated with flooding caused by Florence.

DigitalGlobe, the company that provides high-resolution satellite imagery, snapped photos of the flood-ravaged area surrounding Wallace, North Carolina.

Wallace is a town that lies about 35 miles northeast of Wilmington.

The images show just how extensive was the damage wrought by floods to farmland, homes, and other local businesses. 

North Carolina Gov Cooper earlier in the week acknowledged that the damage in his state will add up to billions of dollars, but said they are not yet in a position to make a more accurate estimate.  

South Carolina Gov Henry McMaster estimated damage from the flood in his state at $1.2billion in a letter that says the flooding will be the worst disaster in the state's modern history.

McMaster asked Congressional leaders to hurry federal aid.   

DigitalGlobe, the company that provides high-resolution satellite imagery, snapped photos of the flood-ravaged area surrounding Wallace, North Carolina
DigitalGlobe, the company that provides high-resolution satellite imagery, snapped photos of the flood-ravaged area surrounding Wallace, North Carolina
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DigitalGlobe, the company that provides high-resolution satellite imagery, snapped photos of the flood-ravaged area surrounding Wallace, North Carolina

A closeup of flooded homes and roads near the River Landing Country Club, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, is seen in this satellite image over the area in Wallace
A closeup of flooded homes and roads near the River Landing Country Club, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, is seen in this satellite image over the area in Wallace
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A closeup of flooded homes and roads near the River Landing Country Club, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, is seen in this satellite image over the area in Wallace

Wilmington, North Carolina, a coastal city that was hit particularly hard by Hurricane Florence, is pictured left on September 14
A second photo shows Wilmington on September 19, after floodwaters began to recede
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Wilmington, North Carolina, a coastal city that was hit particularly hard by Hurricane Florence, is pictured left on September 14 and right on September 19 as water began to recede

A bait and tackle shop by the Cape Fear River is pictured left on September 16
The same shop is shown right after the river crested almost at the store's doorstep Wednesday
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A bait and tackle shop by the Cape Fear River is pictured left on September 16 and right after the river crested almost at the store's doorstep Wednesday