On Friday, Sep. 14th, Hurricane Florence landed close to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Hurricane Florence broke North Carolina’s state record of the most rain from a storm. The hurricane created over 30 inches of rain from Friday to Saturday. More rain was anticipated for the following days. According to the National Weather Service, in 1999 Hurricane Floyd beat the record for the most rain produced by a storm, with the previous record being 24.06 inches.
As of Sep. 22nd, the death toll from Hurricane Florence has risen to 32 confirmed deaths according to North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. The governor also gave a press release where he told the public that a 78-year old resident of Lenoir County had died “trying to connect two extension cords outside in the rain.” According to the Wilmington Police, a tree fell on a house and caused the deaths of a mother and her baby, and the father was transported to a nearby hospital.
Firefighters near Wallace, North Carolina were not only tasked with putting out flames, but also clearing roads of fish. The water levels are receding at a quick pace, which is great for residents but deadly for fish and other aquatic life. “Hurricane Florence caused massive flooding in our area and allowed the fish to travel far from their natural habitat, stranding them on the interstate when waters receded,” the Penderlea Fire Department said. Not only is the loss of so many fish disheartening, but the flood waters could have caused contamination within the surviving fish habitats.
Not only were homes destroyed, but so were farms. Approximately 3 million chickens drowned in the flood waters caused by the hurricane. While many might respond to this fact with a comment such as, “How could a farmer leave all those birds?” evacuating that many chickens would be extremely difficult to accomplish. 5,500 hogs were also dead during the hurricane. Many farmers did stay behind even after being told to leave. The North Carolina Agricultural Department is putting programs and efforts in place to insure that no contaminated livestock that did survive make it into the food supply.
Crops were also destroyed in the high winds and rising waters. The number one industry in North Carolina is agriculture, which makes the loss of crops much harder to grasp for residents. Farmers worked 80-hour weeks to grow the crops, just to have them destroyed during a natural event. Many farmers do have insurance, but it only covers certain crops. The insurance that farmers do have does not replace income lost due to damaged crops. Some farmers not only lost some of their animals, but they lost food for the ones that survived the hurricane. Without the previously stored food, many farmers will have to sell their livestock.
Hurricane Florence has left a trail of loss in its wake. Hurricane Florence washed away the lives of many residents in the Carolinas. People lost their lives, their loved ones, and their livelihoods. It will take a long time and many resources, but the Carolinas plan to rebuild their homes and their lives.
