Hurricane Ian kills four in North Carolina

The remnants of Hurricane Ian downed trees and power lines across North Carolina, and at least four fatalities connected to the severe weather have been reported.

In Johnston County, outside of Raleigh, a woman found her husband dead early on Saturday morning after he went to check on a generator running in their garage overnight, sheriff’s office Captain Jeff Caldwell said.

Carbon monoxide levels were also high inside the home, and the woman was checked out at a hospital, according to Caldwell.

Also in Johnston County, two young adults died in traffic accidents during stormy and wet conditions Friday, Governor Roy Cooper’s office said in a news release. 

In eastern North Carolina’s Martin County, a 22-year-old man drowned when his truck left the roadway and submerged in a flooded swamp, the news release said.

“We mourn with the families of those who have died and urge everyone to be cautious while cleaning up to avoid more deaths or injuries,” Cooper said in a statement.

The highway patrol responded to over 1400 calls for service and 784 collisions between midnight on Friday and early Saturday morning, a spokesman said. Not all were necessarily weather-related.

There were no initial reports of major structural damage, though over 241,600 people across the state were without power Saturday afternoon, according to North Carolina Emergency Management.

The department said that gusty winds would taper off throughout the day as the remnants of the system dissipate.

The National Weather Service warned that hazardous conditions remain along the coast, including the possibility of flooding and rip currents.