MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — Florence, now a tropical storm, swirled at a near-standstill over the Carolinas on Saturday, dumping non-stop rain over areas already flooded by seawater and swelling rivers and creeks across both states.
Some towns have already been soaked by more than 2 feet (60 centimeters) of drenching rains , and forecasters warned that totals could reach 3½ feet (1 meter), unleashing floods well inland through early next week. At least four people have died, a toll authorities fear will rise as the storm crawls westward across South Carolina.
Photos: Florence batters the East Coast
At 8 a.m. Saturday, Florence stalled about 35 miles (55 kilometers) west of Myrtle Beach, moving forward at just 2 mph (4 kph), with top sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph).
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper called Florence an “uninvited brute” that could wipe out entire communities as it grinds its way across land.
“The fact is this storm is deadly and we know we are days away from an ending,” Cooper said.
Earlier photos: Hurricane Florence makes landfall