At least 20 dead in North Carolina from Hurricane Matthew

RALEIGH, N.C. — Emergency officials in North Carolina say at least 20 people have died because of Hurricane Matthew.

Information from emergency management directors shows 14 of the storm-related deaths involved motor vehicles. The state has not released the names of the victims.

• Two people were killed Saturday in Bladen County when a car traveled through a washed-out road.
• One in Sampson County on Saturday when a male driver hydroplaned his vehicle and struck a tree.
• One in Rowan County on Saturday when a female victim died in a storm-related house fire. No other details were provided.
• One in Wilson County on Saturday when a vehicle drove into flood waters.
• One in Pitt County on Sunday when a female drove into standing water.
• One in Johnston County on Sunday when a vehicle was swept away when the driver went across a flood-covered bridge.
• One in Johnston County on Sunday when a vehicle traveling through flood waters ran off the road. Three people in the car were rescued and one other person is missing.
• One in Johnston County on Sunday when a vehicle traveling on Interstate 95 was swept off the road and into Hannah Creek.
• One in Johnston County when a 51-year-old man walking on Sunday was swept away by floodwaters.
• One in Harnett County when a male driver drove around a barricade and into flood waters. The state did not release a date for that death.
• One in Gates County, where the body of a 75-year-old man was located Monday inside a car discovered as flood waters began to recede. The man was considered missing Sunday, with his cellphone's last contact traced to a flood area of N.C. Highway 32 near Gatesville.
• One man in Wake County who died overnight Monday while heading home from work when a tree fell on his vehicle.
• One in Wilson County who died overnight Monday in an accident when the victim ended up in a submerged vehicle.
• One in Cumberland County who died overnight Monday in an accident when the victim ended up in a submerged vehicle.
• Two in Robeson County died due to cars swept away by flood waters.
• One in Columbus County died due to submerged car in flood waters
• One in Wayne County died due to car filled with water.
• One in Lenoir County, where a 71-year-old man attempted to rescue a horse and drowned.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory says 55,000 customers still have no electricity, but that's down from nearly 900,000 at the height of Hurricane Matthew.

McCrory said Thursday that no new deaths have been reported. State officials say 20 people have died in the storm, almost all of them in vehicle-related deaths.

McCrory says three more counties have been approved for federal help. Nearly three dozen counties are now approved for aid to local government and 17 counties have been approved for help to individuals who suffered losses.

The governor says the biggest problems continue to be in Robeson County, in the southeastern part of the state.

But he warned flooding is still possible across much of the eastern North Carolina.

Cox Media Group