Flash flooding in western North Carolina has claimed the lives of two people, a man and a child who were swimming in rural Wilson's Creek when strong, swift currents swept them away from a normally calm pool section, CBS News reports.
Heavy rain has caused power outages and flash flooding throughout the western region of the state over the weekend. The two victims of the flash foods have been identified as 48-year-old Juan Alberdi of Huntersville and 10-year-old Delilah Lovett of Charlotte, who were with family and a friend while visiting the creek on Saturday. Caldwell County officials said in a statement that Alberdi and Lovett "were immediately swept away in the swift currents" after entering the usually calm section of the creek.
The girl's body was recovered on Saturday after kayakers spotted her about three-quarters of a mile from where she had been swimming, while Alberdi's body was recovered on Sunday.
Caldwell County spokeswoman LouAnn Kincaid told CBS News that Wilson's Creek is "is about two feet above normal with all the rain," and areas of Catawba, Lincoln and Cleveland have received foots of rain over the weekend.
Catawba County spokesman Jim Dickerson said to CBS News that crews were checking reports of damage to over 130 area homes and local buildings, while damage assesment teams found that least seven homes and three major businesses suffered severe damage from rising waters, though no injuries were reported. However, he added that sections of six roads will remain closed for up to three months to repair damage.
"The good news is that meteorologists expect dry weather for the next two days, allowing crews to clean some of the mess left by rainfall that exceeded 12 inches in some places," The Charlotte Observer writes. "Another round of showers and thunderstorms is forecast Wednesday and Thursday, however."
Click here to watch a video report from CBS News on the deaths of the two victims in the flooding.
