Florence batters Carolinas

Flood waters from Hurricane Florence surround a house and flow along the street in Fayetteville, N.C.

A man moves his horses from rising water in Lumberton, N.C., following flooding from now Tropical Depression Florence.

Helen McKoy walks down a flooded street in her neighborhood as Florence continues to dump heavy rain in Fayetteville, N.C.

Homes along the New River are flooded as a result of high tides and rain from Hurricane Florence, which moved through the area in Jacksonville, N.C.

Members of the North Carolina Task Force urban search and rescue team wade through a flooded neighborhood looking for residents who stayed behind as Florence continues to dump heavy rain in Fayetteville, N.C.

Floodwaters from Hurricane Florence rush down Cool Spring Street, inundating the St. James Church in Fayetteville, N.C.

Erick Martinez grills chicken on the porch of his home as floodwaters from Hurricane Florence rise in the Magnolia Mobile Home Park north of Lumberton, N.C.

A resident walks from his flooded house toward the crew of the Cajun Navy in Lumberton, N.C.

A boat pushed ashore by Hurricane Florence rests in front of a damaged home in New Bern, N.C.

Floodwaters surround buildings on Front Street in downtown Swansboro N.C.

A sign asks for prayer Friday in Lumberton, N.C., as Florence bears down

High winds toppled a scoreboard, knocked down a wall and uprooted trees, crushing a car, at a baseball field in New Bern, N.C.

A section of an exit ramp on Highway 17 was washed away when Florence hit new Bern, N.C., as a Category 1 hurricane.

A man makes a phone call from the front porch of his home surrounded by floodwaters in Jacksonville, N.C.

A store awning partially ripped away by high winds in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

A mother and her infant were killed Friday when a massive tree fell on their house in Wilmington, N.C. They were the first reported fatalities from Hurricane Florence.

Volunteers help rescue residents and their pets from flooded homes Friday in New Bern, N.C.

Homes are flooded after a surge from Hurricane Florence flooded the Neuse River in New Bern, N.C.

The Trent River (background) overflows its banks and floods a neighborhood during Hurricane Florence in River Bend, N.C.

People walk through the high winds from Hurricane Florence in downtown Swansboro N.C.

Mike Kiernan takes photos of the damage to his home in Wilmington, N.C.

A woman holds a baby as she watches rising flood waters on the Cape Fear River during Hurricane Florence in Wilmington, N.C.

Members of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 4 from Oakland search a flooded neighborhood for evacuees in Fairfield Harbour, N.C.

Sam Parks walks through flooded Water Street as Hurricane Florence comes ashore in Wilmington, N.C.

Residents drive through flooded Water Street as Hurricane Florence comes ashore in Wilmington, N.C.

Wind and water from Hurricane Florence damages the highway leading off Harkers Island, N.C.

Residents look at downed trees as Hurricane Florence passes over Wilmington, N.C.

Firefighters arrive at a home where a large tree fell and trapped three people in Wilmington, N.C. One man was taken out of the home in critical condition, and the condition of the others is unknown.

A boat is wedged in trees during Hurricane Florence in Oriental, N.C.

Rescue workers rush a man to an ambulance after a giant tree toppled onto his house, killing two other people when Hurricane Florence came ashore in Wilmington, N.C.

Waves slam the Oceanana Pier & Pier House Restaurant in Atlantic Beach, N.C.

Electric poles that snapped in half sway from their wires as Hurricane Florence comes ashore in Wilmington, N.C.

A sign warns people away from Union Point Park after it was flooded by the Neuse River in New Bern, N.C.

The awning of a Shell gas station was torn off when Hurricane Florence came ashore in Wilmington, N.C.

Volunteers from the Civilian Crisis Response Team help rescue three children from their flooded home in James City, N.C.

Volunteers from the Civilian Crisis Response Team help rescue three children from their flooded home in James City, N.C.

Linda Deem walks along the beach as winds from Hurricane Florence are felt in Myrtle Beach, S.C

Linda Stephens checks out the weather as the force of Hurricane Florence is beginning to be felt in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Portions of a boat dock and boardwalk are destroyed by powerful wind and waves as Hurricane Florence arrives in Atlantic Beach. Coastal cities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia are under evacuation orders.

Michael Nelson floats in a boat made from a metal tub and fishing floats after the Neuse River went over its banks and flooded his street during Hurricane Florence in New Bern, N.C.

A child sits on a mattress at a Hurricane Florence evacuation shelter at Conway High School in Conway, S.C.

Alejandra Rubio comforts her daughter Sarahi Ramos on Thursday in their hotel room in Wilmington, N.C., where they will wait out Hurricane Florence.

The Ramos family prepares dinner and watches the weather forecast in their hotel room Thursday night in Wilmington, N.C., where they will wait out Hurricane Florence.

Vickie Grate, left, waits in a shelter with her son Chris, center, and his girlfriend, Sarah, after evacuating from their homes in Conway, S.C., on Wednesday.

Doug Lewis, left, and Chris Williams cover the windows of Knuckleheads Bar and Grill in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

A statue of Poseidon stands along the boardwalk in Morehead City, N.C., on Wednesday. Many coastal areas in Virginia and the Carolinas are under evacuation orders.

Sunset on the Isle of Palms, S.C., on Wednesday. Hurricane Florence has weakened slightly, but is still expected to cause potentially life-threatening storm surge and flooding.

Boats are dry-docked at the Wrightsville Yacht Club on Wednesday in Wrightsville Beach, N.C.

The Lager Heads Tavern is secured on Tuesday as locals prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Florence in Wrightsville Beach, N.C.

Willy Cortright, foreground, and Erik Barfield, on roof, cover the windows of a home with plywood panels in Beaufort, N.C. Both said they planned to ride out the storm on the coast.

Sandbags surround homes on North Topsail Beach, N.C.

Poolside furniture is placed in the pool of a hotel before the storm arrived in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

A mandatory evacuation is in effect in Topsail Beach, N.C.

Daniel Vaughn, left, and Frank Murphy fill sandbags while preparing for Florence in Wrightsville Beach, N.C.

Sunrise in Wrightsville Beach, N.C., two days ahead of the predicted landfall of Hurricane Florence.

The bread aisle at Walmart is empty two days before Hurricane Florence is expected to strike Wilmington, N.C.

Johnny Mercer’s Fishing Pier juts into the Atlantic Ocean two days before Hurricane Florence is expected to strike Wrightsville Beach, N.C.

Chuck Ledford, left, watches “Looney Tunes� with his daughter, Misty, as they evacuate ahead of Hurricane Florence in Wilmington, N.C.

Jacob Whitehead, left, and Matt Jones hit golf balls into the surf as Hurricane Florence approaches in Wrightsville Beach, N.C.

People evacuate ahead of Hurricane Florence as they seek shelter at Emma B. Trask Middle School in Wilmington, N.C.