Ivan's Storms Kill Seven In Carolinas, NE Georgia
Rain Coming To End For Now
ANDERSON --
The remnants of Hurricane Ivan have left their mark on the western
Carolinas and northeast Georgia, especially in North Carolina.
At least three people are reported dead Friday in western North
Carolina after structures collapsed during heavy winds and rain.
Two died in Macon County and another in Henderson County, when
winds blew a tree onto a home in Flat Rock. Two men are missing and
presumed dead in Macon County after floodwaters swept away a pickup
containing three men near Leicester. The third man was rescued. One other
person died in Haywood County.
More
than 164,000 people are without power after the storm dropped as much as
eight inches of rain and winds knocked trees onto power lines. Officials
say the numbers will rise during the day.
Maj. Chris Simpson of the North Carolina National Guard said
rescuers are also bracing for flash floods. They've already had to use
helicopters in some cases to aid swift water rescues. More than 100 roads
were closed by flooding or downed trees. At least 625 people spent the
night in 38 shelters.
Tornado warnings were issued in seven counties Thursday afternoon
and evening, with damage reported in five counties.
Some of the worst damage was reported in Franklin County, Ga.,
where several tornadoes were reported. The Franklin Springs Fire
Department building and a nearby emergency medical services facilty were
heavily damaged, as well as more than two dozen homes in Franklin Springs
and Sandy Cross.
"Everything we worked so hard to get, ruined, devastated,
devastated," Fire Chief Mark Jerome said, looking at the debris piled on
one of his newest fire trucks. "I'm just hoping [people] help us as much
as we help other people."
One woman was killed when a tree fell on the car in which she was
riding. Another woman in the car was among several people injured across
the county.
"We looked out the window and saw the funnel cloud move this
direction toward the fire station here," Charles Powell said. "It was like
a bomb blew up in Franklin Springs."
Damage was also reported in Hart and Elbert counties in Georgia, as
well as Laurens and Oconee counties in the Upstate.
Blue Ridge Electric reported 60,000 customers without power at the
peak of the storm, while Duke Power reported more than 15,000. Most of the
outages were in Oconee County.
The center of Ivan continues to march northeastward into Tennessee.
The most recent projected track indicates Ivan will move through Tennessee
and North Carolina and slow down over the weekend, before coming back to
the Pee Dee of South Carolina Sunday afternoon, possibly moving all the
way back to the lower Upstate by the end of the weekend.
Forecasters say Ivan weakened to a tropical depression early
Friday.
A flood
watch continues across the entire region until 6 a.m. Sunday. A high wind
warning is in effect for the mountains from 6 p.m. Thursday until 6 p.m.
Friday.
A flood warning has been issued for the Saluda River at West Pelzer
and the Broad River at Blacksburg. Both rivers were forecast to crest six
or more feet above flood stage Saturday morning, but are now forecast to
crest only two feet and one foot over flood stage, respectively.
Most high school football games have been postponed this week.
Greenville's Art In The Park event scheduled for this weekend will now be
held Oct. 23-24.
Several school districts in North Carolina have canceled classes
for Friday. A list of closings and delays can be found here.
Meanwhile, the current storm track for Hurricane Jeanne puts it off
the South Carolina coast Tuesday afternoon. Forecasters warn that there is
still considerable leeway in the storm's eventual path.
Stay tuned to WYFF News 4 and TheCarolinaChannel.com for the latest
information.
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