Although Hurricane/Tropical Storm Florence has come and gone, authorities caution that hazards related to the storm persist and deaths are still occurring.
The latest and most controversial fatalities occurred on Tuesday, when a sheriff’s van became submerged in floodwaters and the two people being transported in it – mental health patients – drowned. News sources say the two deputies who were in the van at the time it was swept off the road were able to escape. An investigation is underway to determine if the deputies had gone around barriers that were blocking the road due to flooding.