Rescue crews were racing to reach as many as 2,000 people stranded at their homes in North Carolina after a levee broke Monday, one day after Hurricane Matthew unleashed treacherous flooding and moved out to sea. Some of those stranded were standing on the roofs of their flooded houses in Lumberton, south of Fayetteville and about 70 miles inland, Gov. Pat McCrory told reporters.
The governor urged people in the danger zone to stay out of flooded areas, adding that “this is a life and death decision” for residents and rescuers. “If you’ve been told to evacuate, evacuate.” Evacuations were ordered in cities along three different rivers. Some rivers were expected to be at record levels Friday — six days after the end of Matthew’s rains. READ MORE
