Hurricane Florence may have been downgraded to a tropical storm, but on Saturday afternoon it continued to unleash hell on the residents of North Carolina.
Fayetteville, North Carolina, Mayor Mitch Colvin warned people living within a mile of Cape Fear river or Little River they had to leave by 3pm Sunday.
'If you are refusing to leave during this mandatory evacuation, you need to do things like notify your legal next of kin because the loss of life is very, very possible,' Colvin said at a Saturday press conference.
He added: 'Please take this seriously. The worst is yet to come, get to higher ground now, once flood waters rise, it will be hard to get to you to rescue.'
More than 24 hours after it first made landfall in North Carolina, the storm has moved to almost a standstill over the region, travelling as slowly as 2mph at one point.
The slow progression of the weather system combined with the constant rain and storm surge has now resulted in relief efforts being delayed and families being told they cannot yet return to their homes in evacuated areas.
There have been at least 11 deaths so far in the storm, according to Fox News.
And on Saturday morning President Trump issued a disaster declaration for parts of the state that will make the rebuilding process easier for residents in some counties.
He is planning to visit the area next week.
A mother and baby were killed when a tree fell on their home in Wilmington. The child's injured father was hospitalized.
A woman in Hampstead, North Carolina died from a heart attack after calling 911 when emergency crews were unable to reach her home due to downed trees blocking off the street.
An unidentified person died while at a local high school that had been converted into a shelter in Brunswick County, North Carolina. That death is still under investigation.
A 78-year-old man was electrocuted attempting to connect extension cords while another man, 77, died when he was blown down by high winds while checking on his hunting dogs.
Both of those deaths occurred in Kinston.
There was also two deaths reported at Harker's Island, which were revealed to be a husband and wife murder-suicide.
Officials in New Bern, which dates to the early 18th century, said more than 100 people were rescued from floods and the downtown area was under water by Friday afternoon.
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