People survey the damage caused by Hurricane Florence on Front Street in downtown New Bern, N.C., on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
High winds and storm surge from Hurricane Florence hits Swansboro N.C.,Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland)
Russ Lewis covers his eyes from a gust of wind and a blast of sand as Hurricane Florence approaches Myrtle Beach, S.C., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Russ Lewis looks for shells along the beach as Hurricane Florence approaches Myrtle Beach, S.C., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. "We might get lucky we might not we’ll find out," said Lewis of the storm. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Russ Lewis looks for shells along the beach as Hurricane Florence approaches Myrtle Beach, S.C., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. "I woke up this morning and couldn’t hear the ocean. It’s kind of spooky," said Lewis. "You don’t expect to see the ocean this calm." (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A bike rider makes her way down East Bay St. past a sign asking for Hurricane Florence to spare the Lowcountry in Charleston, S.C., as Hurricane Florence spins out in the Atlantic ocean Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)
High winds and storm surge from Hurricane Florence hits Swansboro N.C.,Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland)
High winds and storm surge from Hurricane Florence hits Swansboro N.C., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland)
A tree uprooted by strong winds lies across a street in Wilmington, N.C., after Hurricane Florence made landfall Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Ethan Hall, right, Michael Jenkins, center, and Nash Fralick, left, examine damage to Tidewater Brewing Co. in Wilmington, N.C., after Hurricane Florence made landfall Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Part of the roof of Tidewater Brewing Co. lies on the ground in Wilmington, N.C., after Hurricane Florence made landfall Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
A woman removes debris from a road in Wilmington, N.C., after Hurricane Florence made landfall Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
In this photo released by the City of New Bern, N.C., a bear statue floats in flood waters on South Front street in New Bern, N.C. on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. Hurricane Florence lumbered ashore in North Carolina with howling 90 mph winds and terrifying storm surge early Friday, ripping apart buildings and knocking out power to a half-million homes and businesses as it settled in for what could be a long and extraordinarily destructive drenching. (City of New Bern via AP)
In this photo provided by Jordan Guthrie, wind and water from Hurricane Florence damages the highway leading off Harkers Island, N.C. on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (Jordan Guthrie via AP)
A tree uprooted by strong winds lies across a street in Wilmington, N.C., after Hurricane Florence made landfall Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Emmett Marshall, 4, from Norfolk, Va. wades in floodwaters, Friday, Sept. 14, 2018, in the Larchmont area of Norfolk, Va., as the effects of Hurricane Florence are felt. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
A message on a boarded-up business encourages people to be safe as Hurricane Florence hits downtown New Bern, N.C., on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
This photo provided by Angie Propst, shows a boat wedged in trees during Hurricane Florence in Oriental, N.C, one of nine incorporated municipalities in Pamlico County, Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (Angie Propst via AP)
People walk through floodwaters caused by Hurricane Florence in downtown New Bern, N.C., on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
Flooding caused by Hurricane Florence covers blocks of Front Street in downtown New Bern, N.C., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
Debris from Hurricane Florence covers a street in downtown New Bern, N.C., on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
A work truck drives on Hwy 24 as the wind from Hurricane Florence blows palm trees in Swansboro N.C., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland)
People walk through the high winds from Hurricane Florence in downtown Swansboro N.C., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland)
High winds and water surround a house as Hurricane Florence hits Swansboro N.C., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland)
The shelter of a gas station lies on the ground in Wilmington, N.C., after Hurricane Florence made landfall Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Sean Hayes, right, from Manteo, N.C., eats at Bubba’s Seafood Restaurant with his family as the deck is covered with a few inches of water from effects of Hurricane Florence Friday, Sept. 14, 2018, in Virginia Beach, Va. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Toppled trees land in the yard and on a home in Wilmington, N.C., after Hurricane Florence made landfall Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
High winds and water surround a house as Hurricane Florence hits Swansboro N.C., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland)
Vehicles drive through water from the White Oak River flooding Highway 24 as Hurricane Florence hit Swansboro N.C., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland)
WILMINGTON, N.C. — Blowing ashore with howling 90 mph winds, Florence splintered buildings, trapped hundreds of people and swamped entire communities along the Carolina coast Friday in what could be just the opening act in a watery, two-part, slow-motion disaster. At least four people were killed.
Forecasters warned that drenching rains of 1 to 3½ feet as the hurricane-turned-tropical storm crawls westward across North and South Carolina could trigger epic flooding well inland over the next few days.
As 400-mile-wide Florence pounded away at the coast with torrential downpours and surging seas, rescue crews used boats to reach more than 360 people besieged by rising waters in New Bern, while many of their neighbors awaited help. More than 60 people had to be rescued in another town as a cinderblock motel collapsed at the height of the storm’s fury.
The storm knocked out power to more than 890,000 homes and businesses, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks the U.S. electrical grid.
‘Uninvited brute’
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper called Florence an “uninvited brute” that could wipe out entire communities as it grinds across the state.
“The fact is this storm is deadly and we know we are days away from an ending,” Cooper said. Parts of North Carolina had seen storm surges — the bulge of seawater pushed ashore by the hurricane — as high as 10 feet, he said.
A mother and baby were killed when a tree fell on a house, according to a tweet from Wilmington police. Also, a 77-year-old man was apparently knocked down by the wind and died after going out to check on his hunting dogs, Lenoir County authorities said, and the governor’s office said a man was electrocuted while trying to connect extension cords in the rain.
Forecasters say catastrophic freshwater flooding is expected over parts of North Carolina and South Carolina ahead.
City gets 23 inches of rain
One city in North Carolina has picked up more than 23 inches of rain in two days from Tropical Storm Florence.
The National Weather Service said on Twitter on Friday night that Morehead City had received 23.04 inches of rain with more heavy rain coming.
Forecasters have issued what they call a a flash flood emergency , saying areas of surrounding Carteret County are flooding that have never flooded before.
Forecasters say it is especially dangerous after dark because people trying to escape may not realize how deep flood water is on roads.
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