Matthew’s mess: Rescue crews try to reach 1,500; 530K still without power

The wrath of Hurricane Matthew continues to be felt across the Southeast United States, as flooding causes widespread damage. Police, firefighters and rescue crews in North Carolina helped residents evacuate on Tuesday as rivers breached their banks and inundated some towns and threatened others. North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, who announced that 14 people have died because of the storm, warned of “extremely dangerous” conditions in the next 72 hours in central and eastern parts of the state, where several rivers are in major flood stage and nearing record levels.

The water started coming pretty quickly, and we had to get up and get ready in no time. It was very alarming and disturbing.

Wendy Key, 40, who fled with her six children to a shelter in Kinston, N.C.

In eastern North Carolina, crews were racing to rescue about 1,500 who were trapped by the Lumber River, which had overflowed its banks. As of mid-afternoon on Tuesday, the number of homes and businesses without power was down to around 532,000, according to local electric companies. On Sunday, just after the hurricane hit and turned out to sea, some 2.2 million were without power.