Florence death toll hits 50 with 2 new reports in North Carolina

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper's office announced the details of two falling-related deaths in the wake of Hurricane Florence. Photo b...

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper's office announced the details of two falling-related deaths in the wake of Hurricane Florence. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI

By Danielle Haynes, UPI

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced two additional deaths related to Hurricane Florence on Tuesday, bringing the storm's nationwide death toll to 50.

His office said 39 deaths in the state have been blamed on Florence, including the two latest.

On Sept. 21, a 47-year-old Duplin County man died from a head injury sustained when he fell from a ladder while cleaning up damage from the storm. On Sept. 22, a 69-year-old Pended County man died when he fell from a roof while cleaning up storm debris.

"Florence cut a broad path of death and destruction through our state and we will not soon forget this storm or the lives it claimed," Cooper said. "For people working to recover, applying with [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] is the single most important thing you can do. If you suffered damage from Florence, make sure you apply for assistance right away."

In addition to the 39 dead in North Carolina, officials believe Florence is responsible for at least nine deaths in South Carolina and two in Virginia.

North Carolina lawmakers returned to Raleigh on Tuesday for an emergency session to get relief flowing to the storm-ravaged parts of the state, the Charlotte Observer reported. Activists called for more state funds to offset the sometimes slow dispersal of federal funds.

"Me and my family lost everything in Hurricane Matthew," Lumberton resident Kelvin Thompson said. "And then here comes Hurricane Florence, and I haven't even recovered from Hurricane Matthew. And FEMA didn't give us the assistance we needed to get back on our feet. So we need funds and assistance in our area."

Meanwhile, there have been 134 price-gouging complaints filed in South Carolina, mostly for essential items like gas, water and ice, said Robert Kittle, spokesman for the South Carolina Attorney General's Office.

He said some complaints have been dismissed because they didn't meet the minimum legal definition of price gouging, but others were under investigation.