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Death toll climbs to 14 in Carolinas, flooding continues

At least 14 deaths in North Carolina and South Carolina have been attributed to the rain and flooding.

By Amy R. Connolly, Shawn Price and Ed Adamczyk
At least 13 people are confirmed dead in North and South Carolina flooding, authorities said Monday. Photo from Gills Creek Watershed Association/Facebook
1 of 6 | At least 13 people are confirmed dead in North and South Carolina flooding, authorities said Monday. Photo from Gills Creek Watershed Association/Facebook

CHARLESTON, S.C., Oct. 5 (UPI) -- At least 14 deaths in North and South Carolina have been attributed to unprecedented flooding, which has also prompted reported looting in some areas.

Although the rain has mostly subsided in South Carolina, flooding and resulting damage were expected to plague the area for the rest of the week, forecasters said.

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At least 14 people -- 12 in South Carolina and two in North Carolina -- have died in weather-related incidents since the historic flooding began. In South Carolina, the deaths were attributed to drowning and to traffic accidents; the two reported deaths in North Carolina were the results of traffic crashes.

At least nine of South Carolina's dams have breached or failed, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division reported Tuesday. A torrent of water from one, the Overcreek Dam in Richland County, forced evacuations near the state capital, Columbia. Among the items being swept away by flood waters, in addition to cars and houses, are caskets, unearthed by the flood from cemeteries.

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President Barack Obama signed a disaster declaration for South Carolina late Monday, funneling much-needed federal aid to state, tribal and local recovery efforts affected by the storms.

Residents have been urged to stay off the roads, away from dangerous areas. Some have been spotted in boats inching close to breached dams for photographs.

"This is not the time to take pictures," Gov. Nikki Haley said. She warned that though the rain is subsiding, the danger continues. Scattered showers were expected through Tuesday.

Flood waters were draining from the eastern part of the state downhill toward the ocean. Up to 18 dams were breached or failed in South Carolina since Saturday, the state's emergency management agency said early Tuesday.

More than 400,000 people were without water Monday. About 26,000 remain without power. More than 900 were in shelters with more evacuations likely, Haley said.

"We aren't close to being out of the woods," said Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin Tuesday. "We still expect the water to start coming down from the upstate, coming downhill to the midlands." He estimated damage will be "in the billions of dollars."

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Meanwhile, looting has been reported in Columbia. Resident Pamela Courts told WACH-TV she returned to her apartment to discover flood damage and the theft of "whatever what was upstairs, they came and took. TVs, jewelry, everything."

Another resident, Juamaame Evins, said his residence was also broken into.

"Even though we lost everything and stuff got stolen, we can rebuild together and help each other and be each other's backbones and carry each other through this time because we need each other," he said.

A crushing combination of moisture from Hurricane Joaquin with a low-pressure system dumped more than a foot of rain on many parts of the state. South Carolina has taken the brunt of it, but heavy weather doused the East Coast as far north as New Jersey.

Joaquin was downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane, and has turned northeast over the Atlantic Ocean toward Bermuda, though the rain could continue through Wednesday. Flash flood warnings remained in effect through Tuesday.

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