(CNN) — Matthew’s wrath is finally over, but its devastation keeps growing.
The storm’s US death toll climbed to 20 on Monday after North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory reported 10 deaths in his state. Another five people remain missing in North Carolina, McCrory said.
Meanwhile, rescuers are scrambling to save 1,500 people stranded by flooding in the eastern North Carolina city of Lumberton.
“We have people on roofs (there) as we speak,” McCrory said. The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered flight restrictions over the area so helicopters can rescue them.
But those aren’t the only problems Matthew left behind.About 500,000 structures in North Carolina don’t have power Monday.
“That’s probably well over 1 million people without power,” McCrory said. “That’s 10% of our population in North Carolina — all in a very small area. At least 10%.”
Matthew’s damage exceeded expectations, Duke Energy said. The power company said it now has to rebuild parts of the electrical system. It said some of the hardest-hit areas “might be without power all week.”More than 469,000 South Carolina customers didn’t have power Monday, Gov. Nikki Haley said. She said 8,000 linemen were working to get electricity restored.
And Florida, the first state thrashed by Matthew, still had 169,000 customers without power Monday, Gov. Rick Scott’s office said.
The 10 deaths in North Carolina included some victims who drowned after driving onto flooded roads.The 10 deaths in North Carolina included some victims who drowned after driving onto flooded roads.
“I cannot stress more: If you see a road that’s flooded, do not take your car through that road,” Gov. McCrory said. “If you see a barrier, do not go around that barrier.”
Matthew also claimed the lives of four people in Florida, three in South Carolina and three in Georgia.
In South Carolina, 66-year-old David L. Outlaw drowned when his wheelchair got pinned down in standing water at a nursing facility’s courtyard, Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said.
The US deaths came after Matthew devastated parts of the Caribbean, killing more than 300 people in Haiti, said Paul Altidor, Haitian ambassador to the United States.
Others report much higher death tolls in Haiti. Reuters said more than 800 people died in the impoverished country, citing local civil protection officials.Forecasters warned of more “catastrophic flooding” as North Carolina residents braced for swollen rivers to top their banks in the next few days.
“River levels will rise above major flood stage this morning and remain elevated well into next week,” the National Weather Service said.
As more storm victims return to their homes from Florida to North Carolina, it’s critical to know how to come back safely.
In addition to avoiding all flooded roads, keep an eye out for downed power lines and weakened bridges and roads that look like they might collapse, the National Weather Service said.
Once back home, “walk carefully around the outside of your home to check for loose power lines, gas leaks and structural damage,” the NWS said. “Stay out of any building if you smell gas.”
The agency said carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the leading causes of death after storms involving power outages.
“Never use a portable generator inside your home or garage,” the NWS said. “Use battery-powered flashlights. Do not use candles. Turn on your flashlight before entering a vacated building. The battery could produce a spark that could ignite leaking gas, if present.”
North Carolina’s Department of Public Safety offers additional tips on how to safely remove trees and limbs from homes.
Grant Lynch garnered national attention last week when he posted video of Matthew’s mammoth waves clobbering his Florida beach house.
He returned to his Palm Coast home over the weekend to find the house filled with beach sand.
“The whole yard is now a beach,” Lynch said.
He tried to walk inside the house, whose floors were covered by what looked like more than a foot of sand.
“My head’s almost hitting the roof,” he said.
