35 missing in North Carolina flooding

At least 35 people are missing after the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred swept through western North Carolina this week, authorities said Wednesday as they continued search-and-rescue efforts.

North Carolina’s Haywood County said in a Facebook post Wednesday evening that although several people who had initially been unaccounted for “were located safe and reunited with their families,” there were “several others” who “were added to the list throughout the day as loved ones called in.” 

The county said that additional teams would be sent to assist in rescue efforts Thursday, with engineering teams also being deployed to “work on assessing damage and constructing temporary bridges.” 

The county reported “significant damage to roads and bridges” in the area, with an estimated 10 to 15 bridges “damaged or destroyed.” 

USA Today reported that Haywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher said Wednesday, “We have homes that are completely destroyed and off their foundations.”

“Mobile homes that were moved, and mobile home parks that I would call completely destroyed,” he added.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) declared a state of emergency Wednesday after some areas of the state recorded nearly a foot of rain over the previous three days, with the governor noting that Haywood County appeared to have been the “most severely impacted.”

“This state of emergency will allow our first responders to get into our affected communities quickly to save lives, restore power, remove debris and bring supplies,” Cooper said in a statement. “North Carolina is strong and resilient, and we’re committed to helping people and businesses recover as quickly as possible.”

The National Hurricane Center predicted Thursday that the remnants of Fred could bring up to five inches of rain in New York and across New England, with flash flood watches issued for parts of Maine as well as much of New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. 

The National Weather Service early Thursday issued tornado warnings in multiple New York counties across the Hudson Valley.