North Carolina floods: 4 still missing, 4 victims identified

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Four people are still missing in Haywood County, North Carolina after severe flooding and landslides that claimed the lives of four people.

The area was hit hard when Tropical Depression Fred passed through. Cruso residents Frank Mungo, 86, Franklin McKenzie, 68, Judy Mason, 73, Charlene Mungo, 83, were victims of the storm, the Haywood County government said in a statement.

The county – home to more than 62,300 residents in the western part of the state – had reported 17 people missing on Friday.

A man clears debris on property along the East Fork Pigeon River in Cruso, N.C., Friday, Aug. 20, 2021, after remnants from Tropical Storm Fred caused flooding in parts of Western North Carolina on Tuesday.  (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP)

"We would like to extend our sympathies to all the families who have been affected by this tragedy and most especially to those who have lost loved ones," Sheriff Greg Christopher said in the statement. 

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At least 500 families from Cruso had been displaced by the flooding.

Another Fred-related death was reported earlier in the week near Panama City, Florida, where a Las Vegas man hydroplaned and flipped his car into a flooded ditch.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency on Wednesday as images showed bridges and roads washed away in the storm, debris and fallen trees. 

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"What we know is this: we're going to help rebuild this area. But, we also have to keep in mind, that when we build back we have to be more resilient," Cooper told reporters after touring the devastated area.

The governor cited climate change as a contributing factor.