In the wake of Hurricane Matthew’s assault on the East Coast, floods continue to isolate large portions of eastern North Carolina. Hundreds of roads and bridges remained submerged more than a week after the storm, which forced evacuations of thousands and killed 26 people in the U.S. Most were trapped inside their vehicles by floodwaters.
The lingering floods are reminiscent of those following Hurricane Floyd in 1999, when a similar storm pattern drowned the region, and last year’s “1,000-year storm” that blew out dams and wrecked highway infrastructure in South Carolina. The slow drain down raises the question of whether the lingering floods might be signs of sea-level rise and climate change.