Report: Hurricane Florence killed 22, caused $24B in damages

MIAMI (AP) – A National Hurricane Center report says Hurricane Florence killed 22 people across three states, was the ninth most destructive storm in terms of property damage in U.S. history and spawned 44 tornadoes.

Issued Friday, the report also said the September storm was responsible for 30 indirect fatalities, including 25 in North Carolina. Indirect deaths are classified as those resulting from heart attacks, house fires, electrocutions and traffic accidents.

Of the tornadoes caused by Florence, an EF-2 reported in Chesterfield County, Virginia, on Sept. 17, 2018, caused significant structure damage. One building collapsed, killing a man inside.

In all, Florence made an impact on four states. Damages from Florence were estimated at $24 billion. According to the report, the storm left 1.1 million residents without power, all but 100,000 in North Carolina.

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