Hundreds are still trapped from Florence’s flooding, and officials are warning that the worst is still yet to come. Follow here for the latest.
More than 500,000 customers across North and South Carolina are without power this morning.
But keep in mind: These numbers reflect the customers without power, not people. A lot of those customers might have multiple people in their households, meaning the number of people without power could be even higher.
From CNN’s Christina Maxouris and Hollie Silverman
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein says his office received more than 500 complaints relating to price gouging.
State law says businesses aren’t allowed to spike prices during any natural disaster for necessary items like food, water and hotel rooms.
Those most common reports of price gouging during Hurricane Florence has been on gas and water. The attorney general says his office has also received reports of hotels over-charging evacuees.
Businesses that charge too much may have to refund customers and pay up to $5,000 for every violation .
To report potential price gouging in North Carolina: call 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or file a complaint at www.ncdoj.gov.
Florence made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, as a Category 1 hurricane Friday morning.
It crawled across North and South Carolina (for much of the weekend the storm moved about as fast as you can walk) over the weekend, dumping rain and causing flooding across the states.
At least 18 people were killed in the storm.
Flooding has trapped hundreds. More than 900 water rescues have been reported in North Carolina alone, the governor’s office said — but many more people need help.
The volunteer United Cajun Navy rescue group says it was helping in Leland, where about 200 people have made calls for help, after it made numerous rescues in Wilmington.
From CNN’s Holly Yan, Cassie Spodak and Jason Hanna
Florence has been downgraded to a tropical depression, but it’s still wreaking havoc on the Carolina coast. Here’s what you need to know about the storm today:
