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A one-two punch from Chantal followed by severe weather in the
state's center has “overwhelmed the response and recovery
efforts of local governments,” according to Stein’s executive
order.
Some rivers reached record-breaking levels from the storm,
including the Eno River in Durham, one of several cities where
some residents lost access to safe drinking water because of
damage to the water system. In some places, the storm dumped as
much as 9 to 12 inches of rain, according to the governor’s
office.
Chantal hit at the end of the July Fourth weekend, and several
days of severe weather plowed through as people were still
picking up the pieces from damage caused by the tropical storm's
remnants.
The emergency declaration, which took effect Wednesday,
jumpstarts the process for North Carolina to seek federal
recovery assistance if needed. It covers 13 counties in the
state's center, some of which are home to populous cities like
Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill.
Local law enforcement agencies have confirmed at least six
deaths from the storm. Businesses were wrecked and many
residents were displaced from their homes after emergency
responders rescued them from flooding.
A 58-year-old woman called 911 on her way to work after her SUV
got caught in floodwaters, but the call disconnected and she was
later found dead a little ways from her unoccupied vehicle,
according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Rescuers searched for days in Chatham County only to find two
missing canoers had died, the county sheriff's office said,
while another woman died when floodwaters swept her vehicle off
the road, the State Highway Patrol said.
Two people died in Alamance County, including a missing
71-year-old man found dead inside his vehicle covered in flowing
water, the sheriff's office said. The Graham County Police
Department said a missing 23-year-old woman was found dead
inside a submerged vehicle.
Many people were also rescued during the storm. In one
neighborhood north of Durham, the city's fire department said it
did more than 80 water rescues amid the flooding. The fire
department in Chapel Hill rescued more than 50 people while
teaming up with neighboring agencies, mostly near apartments,
officials said.
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